


Summer Contacts

by HyperMint



Series: Summer Contacts [1]
Category: Harry Potter - Fandom, NCIS
Genre: AU, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-02
Updated: 2012-12-30
Packaged: 2017-10-26 18:45:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 28,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/286658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HyperMint/pseuds/HyperMint
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry Potter meets Tony DiNozzo every summer starting from after Second Year. They become friends as time goes on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own either Harry Potter or NCIS.
> 
> AN: Just a little thing I was thinking of.
> 
> This chapter takes place while Harry is having fun in the summer before Third Year. Sirius Black even comes up in the conversation. Oh, and if you know who Tony is talking about, you know your characters!

Summer Contacts

Chapter Summary: Summer before Third Year.

***

Harry Potter really enjoyed his newfound freedom. He still didn’t quite know what was going on, but he loved it.

Well, besides being who he was and all… He still got looks of adoration and awe and that still made him uncomfortable. He did, after all, just get dropped into the deep end not two years ago…

Sighing, he flopped out of bed and got dressed to go downstairs. This summer, however, there seemed to be a sort of alertness to the air as he went down the hall and entered into the dining area proper.

“Mr. Potter,” Tom nodded. “Would you like some breakfast?”

“Yes, please,” he said politely. He ordered and was told that it would take some time, but Harry didn’t really mind the wait and headed for a table near the corner. Settling in with his pumpkin juice, he sat down for some people watching.

It was still pretty early - which would be the time he would usually be up - so there weren’t a whole lot of people there. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed an older wizard at the corner table who seemed to be doing the same thing. His green eyes were more hazel than Harry’s own emerald green, but it would still be classified as green. His sandy brown hair was slightly spiked and his natural tan told Harry that he wasn’t a local.

He wore Muggle clothes, like Harry, and didn’t seem at all uncomfortable among the others who wore robes and such.

Harry saw the older man’s green eyes lazily drift toward him and smiled at him hesitantly. “Hello,” he meekly waved.

He stared at him in such a way that made Harry wonder just how deep he was thinking when Harry spoke and a wide smile lit up the darker green eyes. “Well, hello, there! You alone?”

He looked around, but it seemed that no one was really paying attention to him. “Er, yes?”

The older man waved to the empty chair across from him. “Why don’t you join me? Kid like you shouldn’t be alone. Do you have any friends?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “But they can’t be here with me right now.” Harry still didn’t know a lot about magic like his best friend, Ron Weasley, did, but he did know that the older man was sincere in his concern about being alone so he timidly moved to the other man’s table.

“I’m Tony,” he reached over to shake hands. “Tony DiNozzo.”

“Harry Potter,” they shook hands. “Are you from America?”

“I am,” he nodded, sipping his Firewhiskey. “I work for one of the Muggle Naval agencies, NCIS.”

“Really?” Harry didn’t know very much about America, but his other best friend, Hermione Granger, had been there one or two times before Hogwarts. She said that it was really beautiful and wanted to go back. Harry wondered if he could go with her. “What’s that like?”

Tony studied him. “You know the Aurors? We’re like that, only we don’t deal with magical things. Those cases get shipped to the agency down the street. I go there sometimes to help with Muggles involved in those cases. I’m a consultant, basically. I’m one of a group that is called in to help the investigators who don’t really deal with Muggles on a daily basis.”

Harry mulled it over. He would hear some of his Housemates talking about Aurors and Ron and Hermione had explained that they were a sort of magical police. “So, you are a policeman for the American Muggle Navy.”

“One of our little nicknames just so happen to be Navy Cops, actually, so you aren’t far off. It’s Naval Bobbies, I think you say it.”

Harry nodded his understanding and they nursed their drinks for a bit. “So, have you ever worked with an Auror?”

Tony thought about it. “I didn’t actually work with her, but I met her. Nice girl, bit clumsy, but nice. She’s a Metamorphmagus.”

“What’s that?”

“Something I would love to be,” Tony chuckled. “These are the really special type of witches and wizards who can change their appearances on a whim.”

Harry’s eyes widened. “So, I could look like… say, you, if I’d had a mind to?”

“Well, sure,” he grinned. “It would help enormously with my undercover work!”

“So, what’s it like working with Muggles?” Harry wanted to know. Not that he’d had much experience outside school or anything.

“Never boring, I promise you that.” He paused. “Especially my friend Abby. She’s sure to be a hit with Professor Dumbledore if they should ever meet.”

“You know the Professor?” Harry frowned. “Did you go to Hogwarts?”

“Not for school, no,” he lamented. “Wish I could have, though. Man, it’s an awesome school.”

“It really is,” he agreed. “I’m in Gryffindor.”

“Really? Is it fun?”

“Loads,” he grinned. “All of my friends are in my House, too. Well, except for maybe some Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws.”

“You know, it’s funny,” Tony watched him with amusement. “I went to see Dumbledore just this last summer and saw him talking with the Sorting Hat. He had me try it on somehow, and I had always wanted to know what House I would have been in, you know? So, I asked. And you know what it said? I could choose between Slytherin and Gryffindor.”

“That’s what it said to me, too!” Harry shook his head. “I guess I’m not the only one it’s happened to then.”

“Yeah, well, apparently, I’m Gryffindor material, so I guess I would have been in your House, too,” he mused.

“That would have been wicked,” he smiled slightly.

“It really would have,” Tony agreed.

Tom came around, then, with their food. “Ah, Tony. Connecting with young Harry, are you?”

“Hey, Tom,” he waved. “Sure. We’re trading Hat stories. Care to sit in?”

“I’m afraid not,” Tom chuckled. “I must be off. See me before you leave, though, Tony. Your package just came in.”

“I’ll remember,” he nodded, both watching the innkeeper hurry back to the kitchen. “He’s a good guy.”

“I like him,” Harry nodded, digging into his breakfast. After awhile, he looked up and saw that his new friend was eating what he would have for dinner. “Not eating breakfast?”

“I’m from America,” he reminded. “The time difference messes me up, but I didn’t have dinner when I got here.”

“Oh. Makes sense,” Harry smiled as he watched Tony eat. ‘He must have really been hungry.’

After awhile, Harry looked around and noticed that a lot of customers seemed jumpy. “Er, Tony? Why is everyone looking to jump a mile at a sneeze?”

“Huh?” he looked up from his dinner and frowned. “What do you - oh. It’s Sirius Black. He’s out of Azkaban.”

“Azkaban?”

“Mm. The Wizarding prison.”

“The one Hagrid went to last year,” Harry remembered.

“He told me about it, yeah,” Tony nodded. He leaned forward. “Rumor has it that he’s a mass murderer who killed three magical folks and thirteen Muggles besides.”

“What’s he doing out of prison, then?” he balked. “They let him out?”

“No. He escaped. No one’s ever done it before,” Tony told him. “Everyone’s still trying to figure out how he did it.”

“Where is he now?” Harry frowned.

“No one knows that either,” Tony shrugged. “Frankly, I’m amazed they didn’t just kill him outright.”

“Hold on, then,” Harry studied him. “You don’t sound so alarmed about the whole thing…”

“And I’ll tell you why,” Tony beckoned him to lean forward. “I don’t think he did it.”

“Why not? I mean, he did all those things you said he did,” Harry shook his head.

“I said that’s what the story was. Never said that’s what I thought of it.” Tony leaned back, “I’m an investigator. I put murderers away for a living. Even with the fact that he’d done those things, they should have given him a proper trial. I was bored one day and looked up Black’s file. There are a lot of holes in the investigation and that would have made me suspicious had it not been for the fact that three of his victims were his closest friends. I read reports that he was near inseparable with them. Now, I know that people change and that Black was the Secret Keeper for this group - I expect you’ll learn about the Fidelis Charm this year -, but being a Secret Keeper, you have to understand, shows great trust placed in someone. Sirius Black just seems too honorable, to me, to have just done the unthinkable and killed his friends. Oh, the Black family may have been Dark, but Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor, you know. Before him, a high majority of his family members were in Slytherin. Maybe a Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff every other generation or something, but Slytherin prevailed. There had to have been something in that man’s character or personality that put him in the Lion Den. This killing his, for all intents and purposes, family… No, I just don’t see it.”

It sounded to Harry that Tony’s thought about this for a long time. Harry reckoned it was the investigator in him that brought out his ire for the obviously serious breaches of protocol.

“And you know what else? I could plainly see that the file had so many things wrong with it, even now I want to hurt someone. The man didn’t have the trial he should have had and I think the overall investigation was manipulated somehow. Merlin, I would give anything to have a chance to investigate it,” Tony sighed.

“Yeah, shame you can’t go back in time, huh?” Harry agreed. Now that Tony had put the idea in his head, it certainly seemed that it would be best for Sirius Black’s case to be reopened.

“If I could get away with it, I would,” he huffed. He saw the look on Harry’s face and chuckled. “It’s magic, Harry. Dark magic, granted, but it happens. There’s this thing called a Time Turner that really does the job.”

“I have so much to learn,” Harry lamented sorrowfully.

“Trust me, kid, it only gets worse from here on out,” Tony patted his shoulder consolingly. “Remember, you’re really just beginning. Wait until you head out into the world. Then you’ll understand that there are a whole lot more to magic than you think there is.”

***

Harry spent the rest of the morning and some of the afternoon with Tony, sharing one of his free sundaes with him. He had a grand time with the older wizard. Tony hadn’t really had the time or will to explore Diagon Alley, so they made it a group effort and had fun doing so.

Harry hadn’t really been allowed to be a normal teen, but Tony made it a fun experience. Tony dropped some hints that he knew of Harry, but it was a marvel that he just treated him like any other kid. With Tony, Harry wasn’t some celebrity that needed gawking. He was just a kid who needed some fun. It was something Harry had little to no experience in, but he knew he could grow to like it.

Though, as much fun as he had, it struck a few times that maybe Tony was acting strangely. Not in the way that he would constantly be looking over his shoulder, no. That behavior was something that Harry reckoned was due to the fact that Tony worked for the American Muggle Military. It wasn’t just something one turned off, that much was certain. The fact that Sirius Black was out was probably another thing entirely, even though Tony was certain that he was innocent. Harry was starting to wonder, himself. Tony would have to meet the man in order to tell for certain, but, until that miracle happened, it was all in theory.

Besides all that, that strange behavior had Harry wondering if Tony himself had friends other than the mentioned ‘Abby’. He was acting much like another upcoming Third Year. Come to that, Harry wondered what Tony’s own schooling was like. Then again, it could also be because Tony was American. Harry made a mental note to ask Hermione or one of the Weasley family just how different it was to be a wizard in Britain than one in America.

They were both genuinely saddened that they had to be separated. Harry had trailed him to the Floo point in the Leaky Cauldron and they just stared at each other.

“I had a really fun time,” Harry told him.

“It really feels like we went on a date, when you put it like that,” Tony chuckled. “But, no. I did, too. It really was fun. Most fun I’ve had in a long time.”

Harry silently nodded, though, in his case, it was more like the most fun he’d had _ever_.

“Hey, don’t worry,” Tony patted his arm. “I hope you have a good time with your friends. Keep an eye out for trouble and try not to run after it, huh? Don’t go borrowing trouble. It’s been my experience that trouble finds you all on its own.”

“Be careful out there,” Harry told him. He was surprised when he was pulled into a hug. Hermione and Mrs. Weasley were really the only ones he’s ever had hugs from, so this was a new experience. Hugs from Hermione were fast and furious. Hugs from Mrs. Weasley were smothering. But this hug was probably his favorite yet. It was calm and comforting and Harry had no problem wrapping his own arms around Tony in return. Harry had always wondered what his father’s hugs would have been like had James Potter lived. Maybe it would have been like this one. He liked to think so, anyway.

“You be careful out there, too,” Tony pulled away a few minutes later to ruffle black hair. “Being a young wizard is bad enough. Being a _famous_ young wizard brings new meaning to the phrase ‘disaster waiting to happen’.”

A few minutes later, Harry was alone again.

When his friends arrived a few days later, Harry told Ron about Tony and their Diagon Alley adventures.

“It was an absolute blast,” Harry smiled nostalgically.

“I bet,” his red haired friend smiled at the obvious enjoyment. “It would have been nice to meet him.”

“I think you would have liked him,” Harry nodded. “I did.”

Ron studied him. “Think you’ll ever see him again?”

Harry tipped his head back. “You know… I really hope so.”


	2. Fourth Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quidditch World Cup and Fourth Year

***

Harry shook his head as he stomped past another lot.

‘What they really need are more helpful signs,’ he huffed, rounding another corner. Having gotten there just that morning, Arthur Weasley had asked them to go to different areas to get certain things before dinner while he and some other Ministry employees got together to go over some last minute things before things heated up the next day.

This was all put into place almost two hours ago. Harry had been told by Hermione to go one way while she went the other and to meet back up a half hour later. He had waited for a half hour after that, but Hermione had been nowhere to be found. Thinking she’d gotten lost or something, he had went looking and was really trying not to panic by this point.

He wandered around for another hour, completely and hopelessly lost and getting hungry. He was certain that he wouldn’t be found in time for dinner and it was slowly getting dark. He was also certain that he’d seen that tree before…

A few minutes later, he found himself going toward a tent that was situated by itself some distance from the crowd around the Quidditch Pitch that would host the World Cup that next day. Sighing, he resigned himself to asking yet another of his ‘adoring’ fans and carefully hesitated as he saw a figure tending the fire in front of the tent. “Um…Sir? I… I need some help.”

He inched closer as the figure straightened up and turned to face him.

“Huh?” familiar green eyes blinked as Harry drew even closer. “Harry Potter? I don’t believe it!”

A half-forgotten day in Diagon Alley last summer came to mind. “Tony? Tony DiNozzo?”

“Hey!” he grinned widely as Harry laughed in surprise. “Looks like the Magical world is a small one, huh?” Harry was pulled into a hard embrace. “How are you, kid?”

“Hi, Tony,” he grinned back. “I’m alright.”

They pulled back from each other and studied the other. Tony looked the same that he had on their first meeting the summer before Third Year. Maybe a little older, a little sadder, but the same.

“Man, it’s good to see a familiar face,” Tony shook his head. “But really. Who knew I would run into the famous Harry Potter? I am so lucky.”

“You should be,” Harry grinned. “Merlin, I thought I’d never see you again!”

“That makes two of us,” Tony ushered him to a spot on the single log in front of the fire. “How crazy destiny is, huh?”

“I don’t mind,” Harry said truthfully, accepting the mug of hot chocolate.

“Me, either,” Tony grabbed his own mug of hot chocolate and settled beside him. “This is a surprise I could get used to.” They sipped at their chocolate and Harry smiled slightly.

“I got lost when my friend’s dad told me and my other friend to go get something. Me and Hermione split up and I’ve been looking for her ever since.”

Tony nodded thoughtfully. “Which means that the Ministry will be looking for you.”

“I really don’t want to be much trouble,” Harry huffed.

“Hey, it happens,” Tony nudged his shoulder. “Not blaming you for it. Not your fault these idiots still don’t know how to organize these things.”

“Have you been here before?” he questioned. “At the Cup, I mean?”

“Once,” he shrugged. “Years ago. It was fun, but I couldn’t stay for the night like this time. As it is, I’m going to have to leave immediately after the Snitch is caught tomorrow. Work, you understand.”

“Do you still work at… NCIS?” Harry was proud to have remembered it and Tony looked surprised.

“Yeah, actually, I do. Still go to Hogwarts? What year are you in now?”

“Fourth, after the holidays.”

“Made it through Third Year, did you?”

“You have no idea,” Harry sighed as he cast his memory back.

“That’s a story if I’ve ever heard one,” Tony grinned. “Any chance of hearing it?”

Harry hesitated, not sure what to say. Everyone who had been in the Shrieking Shack that night - even the Headmaster - knew the real story behind what had happened.

Taking the silence as something else, Tony nodded. “Okay, I get it. You don’t have to tell me. Secret, right? Don’t worry, I’m not offended. Anyway, have you eaten? Not me. I was actually about to roast some hotdogs.”

“I’ve never had it,” he watched as Tony got to work setting up the hotdogs and related makings.

“I would certainly be surprised if you had,” Tony told him, spearing one and handing the stick to him. “It’s mostly an American food, I guess. Here, let me show you how to roast it and I’ll fix it up for you.”

Over the next thirty odd minutes, Harry listened to some of Tony’s adventures at his home office and the magical office he consulted with on a bi-weekly basis. While laughing at one particularly dim individual, Harry watched Tony take Harry’s cooked hotdog and put it on a bun. Mustard, ketchup and some relish, later, Harry took his first bite into a ‘dressed dog’.

Tony laughed heartily as the hotdog quickly disappeared. “That good or were you that hungry?”

Harry smiled ruefully. “A little of both, but it was _delicious_. Can I have another one?”

Between them, the hotdogs were soon a distant memory as the wizards started to clean up their dinner trash. Tony looked at his magic-run watch and sighed. “Well, on one hand,” he sighed as he looked at Harry. “I could get you back to your friends tonight and risk getting lost all night and pneumonia. On the other hand, you could stay here tonight and hole up during the storm. I could make you breakfast and then walk you back.”

“Storm?” Harry frowned, looking up. Stars glinted back at him and he shook his head. “What storm?”

“The storm,” he insisted. “The one that - crap. I’m sorry, Harry. I keep forgetting that not everyone can feel these things.”

“Huh?” emerald green eyes stared at him. “You can tell the weather?”

“Well,” he lifted a shoulder, the subject a little uncomfortable with him. “Not all the time. I can tell weather events are going to happen and how bad they might be. I can ignore the little things, like the thunderstorm that’ll be rolling in in about a half hour. It’s the big things, like blizzards, nor’easters, hurricanes… stuff like that, that I can’t just put away for an indefinite period of time.”

“I’ve never heard of that kind of magic,” Harry studied him in wonder. ‘I guess there are more kinds of wizards and witches than I thought possible…’

“It’s more of an ability or talent than anything else,” Tony waved it away modestly. “I really can’t control it much.”

“Like my ‘talent for trouble’,” Harry grinned as he quoted his father’s friend, Remus Lupin.

“Exactly,” Tony seemed relieved at the understanding. Harry wondered how much trouble Tony’s weather predicting ability gave him.

“So, how long will it storm?” Harry wanted to know.

“Until an hour before dawn,” Tony promptly answered.

***

And heck if Tony’s prediction of a half hour arrival time wasn’t right on.

When Harry had heard the beginnings of the storm, he looked at the time and shook his head. “I don’t believe it,” he told Tony as they made sure things were taken care of before they hid in the two man tent that Tony had. “Just what you said,” he added as it started to rain.

“I know,” he smiled slightly, sitting on his blue sleeping bag. Harry was amused to note the NCIS logo stamped on the upper left corner of it.

“Hey, uh, do you always carry a second sleeping bag with you?” Harry wanted to know. Tony had transfigured his clothes into pajamas and explained that Muggle camping was one of his favorite things to do. Hence, the Muggle sleeping arrangements.

“I got in the habit to.”

“Why is that?” Harry smiled slightly.

“I don’t think you want to know. I wish I didn’t, but there you go,” the older man told him. Harry didn’t know what to make of that answer.

They fell quiet as the storm started picking up.

Tony dug out a flashlight and pointed it up to the ceiling, casting a light glow over the inside of the tent. Harry noticed the pile of familiar snacks in a plastic bag and looked to Tony, who grinned. “I may be American, but British snacks are just as good. Here, you want a Patsy?”

They snacked and listened to the rain and gradually approaching thunder. “You know, this is a great setting for some ghost stories,” Tony told him, munching on a Chocolate Frog. “And wouldn’t you know it,” he added, he showed the card. “Professor Dumbledore.”

“That was the first card I ever had,” Harry admired his friend’s new acquisition. “I still have it.”

“I love these things, the chocolate doesn’t hurt either,” Tony confided.

“I love chocolate, too,” Harry told him. Looking down at his candy, he remembered the past year he’d had and what had happened. Making a decision, he turned back to Tony and said, “I think I would like to tell you what happened last year.”

“Are you sure?” Tony questioned. “It didn’t sound to me like you wanted to before.”

“Yeah, but I think that I need to talk to someone other than Ron or Hermione. I can’t talk to Professor Lupin, because he’s off doing something or other and…” he sighed. “Tony, I just want to know. Do you still stand by your belief that Sirius Black is innocent?”

He frowned. “Of course I do. Why?”

‘Here it goes…’ “Because you were right. Sirius Black is innocent. He was framed. See, he, Lupin and my parents were all friends in school…”

Tony quietly listened as Harry told him about the Marauders and the decision to make everyone believe that Sirius was their Secret Keeper when, in fact, it had been the fourth member of the group, Peter Pettigrew. Harry had stopped there before fast forwarding the story to his trip on the Knight Bus after Aunt Marge and Minister Fudge’s proposal, which is when Harry had met Tony the first time. He went on to tell about when he and the train full of students were boarded by the Dementor. Tony shuddered at that part.

“Don’t worry,” he patted his arm. “I passed out, too.”

Shelving that for later, Harry went on to tell him about Divination class and his ‘ imminent demise ’ and how he was worried about it until McGonagall had told him otherwise. He told his captive audience about the Boggart lesson and what he was afraid of; Hogsmeade and Sirius Black scaring the Fat Lady on Halloween and the school wide sleepover in the Great Hall; Dementors during the match with Hufflepuff; the twins giving him the Marauder’s Map (“The password is ‘I solemnly swear that I am up to no good’, but you have to keep your wand on it. ‘Mischief managed!’ is the phrase you need to wipe the map clean and it‘ll turn back into a blank bit of parchment. Be careful, though. If you forget the password, it insults you. Brilliant, isn‘t it?”) and how that had led him to the knowledge that Sirius Black was his godfather. Harry told of the Firebolt, Patronus, and everything in-between. Then came the part where Sirius and Remus Lupin, “Padfoot” and “Moony” from the Map, revealed the knowledge of how James, Peter and Sirius had become Animagi to keep Remus company on the full moon. Then the plan to make Peter the Secret Keeper came to light and the fact that Sirius Black really is innocent was a testament to just how good Tony’s instincts as an investigator really was. The incident with Remus turning into Moony; Sirius and Harry almost being Kissed and Harry thinking he’d seen his father; waking up in the Hospital Wing and Hermione’s secret of using the Time Turner to get to classes and how she took Harry back in time to save Sirius and Buckbeak… then finally, the trip home where Sirius gave Ron his owl and the Trio finding out that Sirius really had given Harry his broom.

As Harry finally lapsed into silence, Tony whistled. “Now, that’s an adventure,” he chuckled. “Sounds fantastic.”

“But it really did happen,” Harry frowned, before Tony held up a hand.

“No, I know it really happened,” he placated. “I have an open mind. All I’m saying is that I wish I could’ve been there, too.”

Harry tilted his head. “Why?”

“Sounds fun, is all.”

It could just be Harry, but, having lived through it, the whole mess seemed like more of a nightmare. Then again, Harry had a working theory that Tony was different in more than just culture…

***

Dawn’s light slowly lit the tent as blue eyes watched.

Ron Weasley lay on his bunkbed, sighing at the silence that was slowly being broken from the outside. The storm had stopped some hours ago and Ron was kind of sorry for it. Listening to the rain had helped keep his anxiety at bay as his best friend remained missing.

After coming back from his father’s errands, Ron, Ginny, Percy, George and Fred had waited for Harry and Hermione. It had been some hours and they weren’t as worried as they probably should have been about their friends’ continued absence until Arthur had returned, looking for their honorary family members. When it was established that they hadn’t come back yet, Arthur had gathered some of his co-workers to look for them, but the storm had sent them back for shelter.

Now that the storm was over, the search could begin again.

Sure, Ron was worried, but he knew that both of his friends weren’t the helpless innocents that everyone else seemed determined to believe they were. He hoped they were together and that they could watch each other’s backs. Nothing against Hermione, though, Ron wanted to watch his best friend’s back himself. Ever since their Second Year, Ron had something of an urge to always be by his best friend. Of course, that could always be the result of the jealousy he’d had for his friend. He admitted that he felt the most overwhelming jealousy, but felt guilt for it because Harry honestly didn’t want his fame. Ron could admit for being a git at times, but Harry was still the only real best friend that he’d ever had and it was nice.

When he and his family went to Egypt, he really wished to take Harry with them so they could have adventures without being at school, though he knew that they would both feel kind of guilty for leaving Hermione out. She was, after all, the one that completed their Trio and all their adventures to date had been done together.

Well, not all…

He smiled as he remembered meeting up with Harry at Diagon Alley before they’d gone back for their Third Year and before they knew that Sirius Black was actually innocent. His best friend had excitedly told him about the wizard he’d met, who had come from America, and their adventures in exploring Diagon Alley. Ron was surprised to find that he was actually disappointed to have missed ‘Tony’. He remembered clearly the expression on his friend’s face that told him that while it was doubtful Tony would cross his path again, Harry would still wonder.

Idly, he wondered if Harry had told Sirius about Tony or if it had just been him. Tony sounded like a decent bloke and Ron was happy that his friend had found another wizard that he could talk to. Then again, Tony hadn’t specifically told him to owl him or anything… Ron wondered if it was alright for Harry to contact Tony.

Ron was in the middle of thinking to ask if Ron could write to Sirius to ask if he’d heard of Tony from Harry, when he heard Ginny outside squealing. In no time at all, Ron was outside, drinking in the sight of his missing friends walking toward them with an unfamiliar wizard trailing them.

“Harry! Hermione!” his dad immediately rushed out of the tent, only to call Ginny back before she charged the older girl.

“I’m really sorry, Mr. Weasley,” Hermione Granger sniffled as she hung onto Harry’s arm. “I don’t know what happened…”

He didn’t pay any attention to her as he studied the wizard following the pair. “And who might you be, sir?” he demanded to know, wand at the ready.

“You must be Arthur Weasley,” the brunet waved as they drew closer. “I’m Tony DiNozzo.”

Ron immediately knew who he was as he looked to his friend, who gave him a nod. ‘So this was Tony…’

Ginny pulled their friends to the gathered family as Arthur advanced. Noticing the lack of accent, he studied him. “Are you from America?”

“Yup,” he nodded, coming to stand in front of him. “I consult with the Magical Naval Personnel office in Washington, DC,” he glibly produced his consultant’s badge.

They watched as Arthur took it and studied it intently, checking for charms to contradict the claims. Percy stepped forward importantly. “Father, the MNP is responsible for keeping tabs on the witches and wizards in the American Muggle Navy. I think I recognize him from an altercation last Christmas?”

Tony winced. “Trevor was really mad at that.”

“Yes, I can imagine,” Percy nodded. “Agent DiNozzo, was it? You also work for the Muggle Naval office specializing in crimes against the Muggle personnel?”

“Technically,” Harry piped up. “Tony works for NCIS first and MNP second.”

“What’s NCIS?” Ginny frowned.

Tony smiled at the oft asked question. “Naval Criminal Investigative Service. I work as something as an Auror.”

Arthur nodded, relaxing his stance and returning the badge. “Agent DiNozzo, thank you for helping us look for our friends.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Tony waved off. “Harry stayed the night with me and we ran into Hermione on the way back.”

She nodded miserably. “Angelina Johnson let me stay with her and some of her friends. I’m sorry, Harry,” she turned to him. “I don’t know how I got turned around back there.”

“It happens to the best of us,” he assured.

“Ah, you’ve found them, Arthur,” one of the Ministry employees rounded the corner. “Agent DiNozzo, we were looking for you, but you were not at your own tent.”

“Yeah, I was walking these two back,” he lifted a shoulder.

“We’ll have to contact your divisional head at the MNP,” he told him. “For assistance in locating -”

“No, that’s alright,” he waved his hands. “You don’t have to go to all that trouble. Really.”

“Do you know who that boy is?” he frowned, pointing at Harry.

Hermione smiled slightly and Harry burst out laughing as Tony winced. “Unfortunately,” he muttered.

Ron shook his head as he had a good idea what had happened. Someone must have spotted them coming back and recognized Harry. “How many?” he asked knowingly.

Harry shook his own head. “Loads. I almost felt a bit sorry for Tony,” he admitted.

“Yeah, well, next time you’re on your own, kid,” he huffed. “Some thanks I get. Putting myself in the line of fire like that.”

“Those quills _were_ extra close,” Hermione giggled.

***

The Ministry employees had stopped all further searching once the word had spread that the missing had been found. Much to Tony’s dismay, his divisional supervisor had been contacted and a commendation put in his file at the MNP office.

“How is any of this funny?” he frowned as the Trio grinned. “Do you know how many pests I’m going to end up with now?”

“Well, look at it this way,” Ron advised. “You’ve met the famous Harry Potter. That’s something.”

Tony frowned at him. “And how is he famous? Tell me, what all did he do to gain this fame? I mean, what he did consciously. Not what was probably a freak accident.”

For that, Harry idolized him just a little more and Ron knew he was a good person with his own thoughts and opinions. Hermione, having been filled in about Harry’s first meeting with Tony, beamed in approval for the same reason.

“I bet you would have been in Ravenclaw,” Ginny told him.

“Nope,” Harry grinned. “Gryffindor. The Sorting Hat said so.”

It was obviously an inside joke as he and Tony snickered.

Soon, it was time for Tony to go his own way.

“You can walk with us,” Ron offered.

“No, that’s okay,” he nodded in thanks. “I have things to do and I have to leave immediately after the game, so I have to pack up.”

They waved as he left and retreated to their own tent, Hermione and Ginny hanging out in the corner with Ginny’s Charms book and the twins probably planning a prank on Percy.

Ron grinned at his friend. “Tony’s a good man,” he nodded. “I like your taste in friends.”

“Thanks, mate,” he grinned back. “Yeah, Tony is,” he lay on the bottom bunk. “I don’t think he has many friends,” he looked up at him. “It seems that he needed someone to hang out with, is all.”

“Really?” he frowned down at him. “Seems like the sociable type, I thought.”

“He does, doesn’t he? He tells me that he has a good team at his Muggle job, but I don’t think they know about him being a wizard. Both times I’ve met him, he was alone.”

They mulled it over. “I’m sure there’s an explanation for it,” Ron suggested.

“You’re probably right,” he nodded. “Oh, hey. I told Tony about what happened last year.”

Ron nodded, he wasn’t surprised. Harry had told him that Tony believed Sirius to be innocent before they found out the truth. “How’d he take it?”

Harry smiled lightly. “Said it sounded like fun and that he would have liked to have been there, too.”

“I rephrase my original statement. He is a good man, but maybe he should look into seeing someone at St. Mungo’s…”

They chuckled.

“He said before we left to come back,” Harry added, “I could write to him whenever. He gave me his Muggle contact information and said that it would probably be better than Owl Post.”

“I’ll say,” he nodded. “Are you going to write to him?”

“I think I will,” Harry smiled.

***

As it turned out, Tony sent a letter through Owl Post on his next visit to London and Diagon Alley. This was after Harry had been chosen as the Fourth Champion. It really made his day when he, Ron and Hermione had read the letter together and found that Tony was sorry that fate had dealt Harry a new type of card game entirely. Nowhere in that letter was any sort of accusation of being an attention grabber and the Trio liked him that much more.

As the year went on, Harry found himself watching for letters from Sirius, Remus and Tony, the Trio reading them together when the letters arrived. It really helped Harry when Ron got into a fight with him. After the First Task, the Trio laughed uproariously when Tony sent a card issuing his sincerest condolences to Harry for having about thirty years taken from his life. He had also made a note that, what with last year’s Sirius Black scare in the Tower and the end of the year’s harrowing incident, Harry was making headway in the number of years scared off him.

The Trio spent a few enjoyable hours computing just how many scares Harry had had since arriving at Hogwarts and found that Harry had lost enough years to be a quarter of the age of the Headmaster.

As the Yule Ball had drawn closer, the three of them had gone Christmas shopping and had decided to get Tony something, too. Harry chose the present after remembering the morning of the Quidditch World Cup when he saw that Tony’s knife was a little battered.

They had dithered in the knife section of Dervish and Bangs for the longest time trying to figure out what kind of knife Tony would want. They finally settled for a black Swiss Army knife. Hermione had smugly tapped her wand to the knife after they bought it and the boys grinned as her wand fell away, revealing an emerald green inscription of Tony’s name. What Harry particularly liked about it was the lightening bolt that preceded the inscription.

They all chuckled as they saw the Gryffindor seal on the other end.

When they had woken up Christmas morning, they were pleased when they found presents from Tony and the other two waited until Harry had opened his present from Sirius so that they could open the small boxes together. They laughed in delight as they all found Swiss Army knives for themselves. Harry’s knife was a simple bronze, with his name and a Snitch; Hermione beamed at the pastel violet bearing her own name and an open book; and Ron was immediately in love with the Chudley Cannons orange as he ran his finger over his name and the chess piece.

The knives were lovingly placed back in their boxes and placed into the bottom of trunks for safekeeping. The note Tony sent with them said that something would change about the knives on the birthday of their owner. Something about magical signature recognition that only Hermione seemed to follow.

After the Second Task, Tony sent a blue fleece jumper to Harry and he was immediately in love. They found out later that the jumper had tracking spells on it that could be turned off if the password was said a certain way.

After the ridiculous article proclaiming Hermione breaking Harry’s heart, the boys had felt terrible after all the fuss and letters berating Hermione. They knew that Hermione had never dated Harry, probably never thought of him that way, and was an easy target. Sirius had written, telling her that he knew that she was just a good friend to Harry and that he didn’t believe a word of it. Tony, on the other hand, had done one better and sent flowers and chocolate along with his letter also proclaiming his disbelief and dismay at the implications.

When some of the Hufflepuff girls had heckled Hermione about her new ‘beau’, Ginny sniffed and commented that it was good that Hermione’s ‘cousin’ was showing his support and not believing a word of the load of trash. When it was pointed out that Hermione could actually be dating her cousin, Harry had stepped up with his comment that Tony just so happened to be in a happy relationship and that Hermione had given them some support during a rocky patch in their lives. The rest of his friends immediately took the comment and ran with it. They had come up with such a good story that no one could find fault with it and they were just grateful that the rumors were dropped.

Hermione had had to include a note in Harry’s next letter to Tony that explained the story. He wrote back telling them that he didn’t mind being paired with Abby, but she was too much like a sister for him to take that seriously. He then grumbled that everyone seemed to be trying to pair him off with his other friend, Jimmy Palmer, and that being in a triad relationship with both Abby and Palmer was a little too farfetched even for him to consider seriously.

Without knowing it, Sirius and Tony’s letters gave them all peace of mind when Harry was accused of seeking attention. He was grateful that the people that mattered didn’t believe it.

***

It was the end of the Tournament and Cedric Diggory was dead.

Harry was in shock and he’d been like that since relating the whole tale to Dumbledore. Staring out the window next to his bed, glazed green eyes stared into the distance.

Sirius was with Remus, both of them still with Dumbledore, and his friends were off doing something or other. He really wasn’t sure that he cared at the moment.

Voldemort was back and Harry knew that it could only get worse from here on out. He was vaguely aware that he was shaking. A second later, he registered the presence of someone else.

“Why aren’t you in bed? You’ve had a tough night, kiddo.”

“Don’t know if I can sleep,” he muttered softly. “Nightmares.” The voice sighed, but Harry should have recognized it.

“C’mon,” a hand gripped his shoulder and turned him toward the bed. “I’ll stay with you until one of the others comes out of wherever they’re hiding and stays with you.”

Whoever he was supposed to remember the voice belonging to was very insistent. “Now. C’mon,” the voice coaxed. Harry didn’t think twice about following directions. It was actually like being under Imperius. He did what he was told in a dreamlike fashion.

His green eyes bored holes into the ceiling, even when his glasses were taken. His eyes wouldn’t close for fear of seeing those images that would more than likely take center stage in his nightmares for years to come.

The voice from earlier sighed again and the mattress dipped. Hands pushed him until he was on his side and a warmth enveloped him as the owner of the voice spooned up behind him. “It’s going to be tough, but your friends are ready and willing to do whatever possible to help you.” Arms wrapped around him and Harry slowly relaxed into the weight behind him. “Go to sleep, Harry. I got your six.”

A hand rubbed his stomach, invoking something resembling contentment as green eyes finally closed.

He would wake the next morning with vague memories of being held.

TBC

 

 


	3. Year Five, Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From here on out, it's AU.
> 
> When winter break comes around, Number Twelve has a new guest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up, guys. I needed to make things happen out of whatever order they were in. HP time is Fifth Year, NCIS time goes AU after this. Everything's going to change and events will happen earlier or later than original because I need to make them happen in what time I see fit. 
> 
> I'm sorry! I've just been beating myself up for this chapter and I swear it wasn't supposed to be as long as it ended up being.
> 
> I had to chop it up and I know it seems like a lot of these next chapters are 'fillers', but there really are going to be results in the future and I just had this *delicious* idea and it just kept going!
> 
> This is where you need to start paying attention to what you think is trivial information, because we'll be going back to it.

Summary: This is where it gets AU, people. It will not follow the end of the OotP and Half-Blood Prince and I highly doubt it’s going to follow Deathly Hallows.

***

“I really understand that you are just as frustrated as the rest of us, Harry,” Hermione sighed as she watched her best friend stare off into space. “But nothing any of us can do will get us the news we want.”

They were at Grimmauld Place, the headquarters for Dumbledore’s Order of the Phoenix, and all were frustrated at the fact that they weren’t allowed to know what was going on in the world. The others, however, noticed that the black-haired boy was particularly distressed as the days of the summer holidays dragged on.

“Yeah, Harry,” Ginny watched them from the door to Harry and Ron’s room. “Mum is starting to get on my nerves. Really, we aren’t children anymore! We need to know what’s going on if we’re going to win this war!”

Hermione turned to look at her. “I agree with you, Ginny, but I don’t know what to do at this point. They have effectively locked us out and I feel like I’ve been grounded or are under house arrest.”

Ron leaned against the wall next to his sister. He was watching his best friend and sighed. “It’s Tony, isn’t it?”

After the last two summers, as well as their contact with the American over Fourth year, Harry really did get a connection with him.

“Oh, Harry,” Hermione sat next to him on the bed and wrapped her arms around him. “I’m sure he’s fine.”

Ginny frowned thoughtfully. The Trio were all good friends with Tony while she had only met him briefly. “But we don’t know he’s being affected by any of this,” she pointed out. “I mean, are there any Death Eater factions causing trouble in America?”

“You reckon we’ll get an answer if we ask about it?” Ron questioned. “I’d like to know how he’s doing, too. Plus, he’s almost constantly being surrounded by Muggles. They need to keep an eye out, too…”

“There’s no harm in asking,” Hermione nodded. “We’ll just have to ask Professor Dumbledore when we get the chance.”

***

They got their chance at dinner later that night.

Dumbledore had accepted an invitation and was sipping tea in the parlor when the kids came down. “Good evening, everyone.”

“Good evening, sir,” Harry smiled slightly as the others also added their greetings. Various Order members were also there and nodded at them. Mrs. Weasley bustled in with a frown.

Calling them by name, she frowned as she instructed them to help with the dinner. She had made it her mission to keep the youngest members of the house busy so that they couldn’t cause trouble for the Order. Ron and Hermione glanced at Harry, who lifted a shoulder, as they hurried into the kitchen.

“You’re not going to ask?” Hermione nudged him.

“Well, I’m sure Tony can take care of himself… I’m probably just being silly.”

“Harry, it’s not silly to worry about a friend,” she insisted. “He is, isn’t he?”

“Of course!” he frowned at her. “I may not know much about him, but I do know that he’s a good man.”

“Think of it this way, mate,” Ron tapped his arm. “Tony’s an ally, right? So, you’re just jumpy because you haven’t gotten a report from him.”

“He’s got two - highly demanding from what I gather - jobs in America,” Harry shook his head. “He doesn’t really need to hear my problems. He’s probably got his own, too.”

His friends just gave each other looks. This was just typical of him. Worry about a friend of his and then berate himself for putting unnecessary stress on the friend in question. They just wished he would give Tony the choice of being irritated with Harry instead of making the choice for him.

***

Sirius gave his godson a sideways glance as the younger man shuffled his food around his plate. “Harry? Are you okay?”

Everyone gave them their undivided attention. “Harry, dear?” Molly questioned anxiously. “Is everything okay?”

He didn’t answer, instead scowling at his potatoes.

Ron sighed slightly. “He’s worried about a friend of his.”

Hermione nodded. She looked at Harry, who was still scowling at his plate, and sighed. “Professor, I was wondering… Do you know an American wizard by the name of Tony DiNozzo? Harry’s worried about him.”

“Agent DiNozzo?” Arthur remembered him from the Quidditch World Cup. “Well,” he frowned slightly as he thought about it. “He works with the Muggle Navy, so I don’t think he’s in any danger. Actually, I don’t think his department at the MNP office works on any Death Eater activity. That is for another office entirely. I believe it’s in New York City…”

“That’s good to hear,” Hermione sighed in relief. She had also been worried about him. She noted the interested looks being directed their way and an idea sparked in her mind. ‘Well, if we aren’t getting information…’ “He’s such a good friend, I would hate to hear that he’s been injured because of any of this.”

“Not to worry, Ms. Granger,” Albus noted the twinkle in her eye. “Mr. DiNozzo had recently visited my office, as a matter of fact.” He smiled slightly as Harry looked up with interest. “Our mutual friend is himself on assignment on… I believe he called it ‘Agent Afloat’. He wished me to pass on the message that Owl Post would be difficult and that he was looking into a way for you to keep in contact.”

“What’s an Agent Afloat?” Ron frowned.

Albus tilted his head. “I believe it’s a position on a Muggle Naval Aircraft Carrier in the middle of the ocean. I don’t claim to know what all goes on as an Agent Afloat, but I’m sure he can explain it better. From what I understand, there are at least four other wizards and one witch there with him. As a double agent, he can fulfill both duties at NCIS and MNP. I cannot claim to say otherwise, but perhaps being on a ship in the middle of the ocean is the safest place for him to be.”

Sirius wasn’t too sure what was going on, but Harry seemed to perk up at the reassurance and his friends smiled easily. Apparently, this Tony was something of a good mate. It was nice to know that Harry and his friends could put their trust in other wizards.

***

Harry leaned his head back against the seat as the train sped past. Hermione sat across from him, curled up under a blanket.

“Harry, it’s not your fault,” she told him. The whole thing with Mr. Weasley shattered him. He’d been beating himself up ever since they got word some days ago. Ron had been sending word through the Headmaster and all of the friends of the Weasley siblings had pestered the rest of the trio and their year mates for information. The DA was up in arms and practicing harder than ever.

They had been ‘requested’ - ordered - to leave for the holidays and they were almost at King’s Cross now. Hermione sighed and moved to cuddle up with her best friend. She had talked and pleaded with him to stop and that no-one blames him, she certainly didn’t.

It had been a lost cause.

“What do you want for Christmas?” she asked instead. Just like before, she received no answer. Soon enough, the train came to a stop and the students began to disembark.

Harry and Hermione gathered their things and soon found themselves on the platform. “I wonder who’s going to pick us up,” she commented. Harry lifted a shoulder.

Moony, Padfoot, Tonks and Mad-Eye Moody arrived. “Wotcher, you two. Got a bit of a surprise for you at HQ,” Tonks told them.

“Is it a good surprise?” Hermione wanted to know.

“Well,” Remus smiled as his old friend sidled up against Harry. “Ron told us that it is. Technically, I think it was originally Harry’s surprise, but as you and Ron are also included by association…”

The journey from King’s Cross to Headquarters went quietly. The word that Arthur Weasley was recovering just fine was a huge relief to both Gryffindors. The doors of the house slowly swung open and the pair was ushered into the kitchen where everyone had gathered for dinner.

“Harry! Hermione!” Molly gathered them into a hug before the others got ahold of them.

“Everything alright?” Ron wanted to know, stuffing two cups of different drinks into their hands. “I have so much to tell you.”

“Us, too,” Hermione was happy to have her friends together again. Sipping at her drink, she looked down at it in surprise. “Wow. This is delicious.”

Harry was savoring the sight of his best friend safe and in one piece as he absently sipped his own drink. ‘Hermione’s right,’ he raised his eyebrows and took a longer sip, letting it sit in his mouth for a minute. ‘Not English, I don’t think it’s American… Actually, this reminds me of the time Wood poured this tea down my throat that he got from an Italian -’ “Tony!” he whirled around with a grin to face familiar green eyes as the older wizard saluted him with his mug.

“You should be an Agent with those brilliant deduction skills of yours,” Tony DiNozzo was sprawled against the end of the table looking like he’d just been through the First Task, took his OWLs, NEWTs ( not that Harry had any reason to believe he’s taken them; Tony had probably had different schooling ), then took a jog through the tests Harry had to go through in First Year, ended up in the Chamber of Secrets and, well… Frankly, he reminded Harry of what Remus Lupin looked like after the full moon.

“Tony?” Hermione whirled around. “Tony!” Ron immediately stepped in front of her to forestall her imminent charge. Ron had kept in with the plan of letting everyone believe that the Trio had known Tony for years and were all very close and Hermione had been correct in thinking that Molly would bristle. The Weasley matron had tried and failed to gain anymore information and it just confirmed the theory that she really was trying to control every aspect of her youngest children’s lives. She even enlisted several Order members to help scout for information, but the Trio, Ginny and the twins held steadfast.

Of course, Tony hadn’t needed to be told the plan, as he picked up his cues from Ginny’s behavior and Ron’s dropped hints. Added to the fact that several people had asked him when and how he met the Trio in First Year, the light bulb went off in spectacular fashion. It made Molly even more irritated when Tony confirmed everything the kids told her. It was, after all, in accordance with one of his rules for being undercover: Go with what is expected, don’t give extra information where it is not needed, and don’t let on that you have absolutely no idea what the all hell is going on.

Ron gave Harry a coded look. Something happened to the older wizard and Ron was concerned for him.

“How are you?” Hermione wanted to know, not the least oblivious to the look her friends were exchanging. In light of his weary appearance, she slowed her initial speed and just walked over to hug him with the ease of being the close friends that she had made everyone believe they were.

“Could be better,” he patted her arm. “So, I guess you’re stuck with me for the holidays.”

“We could never be stuck with you, mate,” Ron grinned at him.

For the rest of their lives, Harry, Ron and Hermione would never forget the first meeting between Tony DiNozzo and Sirius Black.

As Hermione fussed over the Trio’s friend, Sirius and Remus slowly entered the kitchen. “Yes, well,” Remus Lupin cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “As Tony here, was almost literally dropped in our laps by the Headmaster almost an hour ago, I think introductions are in order.”

“Oh, yeah,” Ron grinned. “He literally showed up at the door. Dumbledore invited him. Don’t quite know why…”

Hermione nodded. “Tony DiNozzo, this is Remus Lupin and Sirius Black.”

Harry watched as Tony levered himself up to shake Moony’s hand and the Gryffindor leaned forward as Tony approached a hesitant Black.

“Hi,” Tony shook his hand. “Good to finally meet you.” The Trio looked at each other, Hermione tilting her head at Harry, who shrugged. Then, as Tony let Sirius turn to Remus with something like relief about not being hexed or whatever he was originally expecting, Tony’s hand connected solidly with the back of his head.

“Ow!” Sirius reached up to rub it. “What in Merlin’s name was that for?!”

“Let me just say that I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time…”

After the dressing down that lasted all of six point five minutes, Tony - oblivious to the shocked silence behind him and the choked laughter in front of him - sat back down and drained his cup. “So, Harry, Ron and Hermione,” he grinned. “What have you all been up to since I saw you last?”

***

 


	4. Year Five Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> maybe an hour after the last chapter. 
> 
> A Lily Evans prank? And Director Vance makes his appearance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy V-Day!
> 
> How was the big 2-0-0? It was really awesome. and how did you like tonight's ep?
> 
> Is anyone actually subscribing to this story?

Once Sirius had gotten over his shock, he got along famously with Tony. Harry could feel an unexplainable weight lift from him as he, Sirius, Remus, Tony, Hermione and Ron found themselves at one end of the table together.

For awhile, the sounds of eating filled the kitchen as everyone dove in.

Tony seemed to be catching an extra wind and was laughing along as Remus related a story about the Marauders when Hermione looked at Sirius.

“What’s wrong, Sirius?” she questioned at his puzzled look.

“Mm? Oh, well… Remus,” he raised a hand. Once he’d gotten his oldest friend’s attention, he shook his head. “Sorry, mate, but I have to admit that I’m at a complete loss as to what you’re on about.”

“I was actually wondering when we would get around to this,” Remus wiped at his mouth as the others gave them their undivided attention. “You weren’t actually there at the time.”

“Why not?” he frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. “It was my idea in the first place!”

“Yes, it was. But don’t you remember? When we were putting the finishing touches on, Lily and Peter had come over and told you that the Headmaster wanted to talk with you.”

“Well,” Tony mused from between Ron and Hermione. “Guess it wasn’t very important if you can’t remember it.”

“No,” Sirius shook his head. “I would have remembered because I had wanted to orchestrate the prank and I was disappointed that I couldn’t do it.”

Remus studied his friend with a frown. “Now that I think about it, James - I remember - had gone up to tell you about the results when we got back to the Tower. Your curtains were shut and we couldn’t open them no matter what we did. Lily even tried, but nothing. The idea that you weren’t there had crossed our minds, but you were there when we checked the Map and you know as well as I, Harry, Hermione and Ron that the Map never lies. So, we just assumed that you had decided to get to bed for some reason and didn’t want to be disturbed.”

Harry was across from Hermione on Sirius’ other side and was listening avidly. “Okay, hold on. If you were with Dumbledore for ages…”

Ron completed, “What was it, exactly, that you were doing?”

“James didn’t get an answer, either,” Remus told them. “Sirius said that he didn’t remember.”

“And I still don’t!” Sirius countered. “And what do you mean ‘ages’? I distinctly remember Dumbledore letting me out after an hour.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Tony frowned, sipping his tea. “If you say that you had left Dumbledore’s office after an hour and the prank lasted - what? A couple hours? -, then what happened between the time you left the office and the time the Marauders got back?”

“What did he want to see you for anyway?” Ron asked.

Sirius sighed and leaned back with a frown. “It was for Charms. I can’t think of what it was now, but he wanted me to look into a Charms thing.”

“I do remember you studying in the Charms section,” Remus offered.

“He offered me some tea and biscuits,” Sirius lifted a shoulder. “Then he needed me to talk to Sir Nick for a few minutes. I left after that.”

“Do you remember anything after you left his office?” Harry wanted to know.

“I was going to join the others,” Sirius mused. “But I had to go back to get something. After that, I don’t know.”

“You did have Quidditch practice that day,” Remus remembered. “You were looking tired. Maybe when you got back, you fell asleep by accident.”

“Then why did you lock your curtains?” Hermione finally piped up. “Tony’s right. It doesn’t make sense.”

“Maybe the school didn’t want anyone to disturb him,” Ron piped up. Shrugging, he added, “I’ve seen it do stranger things. Remember Fourth Year?”

Harry and Hermione nodded thoughtfully, going back to the time after the First Task. “That could be it…”

Tony shook his head. “Sirius was sent to the Headmaster’s office as the others did their thing. Got back some hours later to find Sirius locked in bed. He had been with the Headmaster for an hour, then went to the Tower to get something before joining the others…”

“We were there for three hours,” Remus recalled. “Then, Peter had to meet with his Astronomy partner for a project; Lily and James went to their meeting and I was in the library. So, we got back six hours later, all told.”

“Okay,” Hermione nodded. “So, Sirius, you were already asleep when they got back six hours after they had last seen you.”

“He almost missed breakfast the next morning,” Remus told them. “He was so tired the next day.”

“I remember that. I just couldn’t figure out why,” Sirius frowned. “Normally, I’d be bouncing off the walls with energy. I remember being sluggish all that rest of the week.”

“We figured you were coming down with something,” Remus told him. “So, we didn’t push.”

“I’m starting to wish you had,” he huffed. “I didn’t think I was that tired… I was fully prepared to join all of you, so falling asleep is something I’m not sure really did happen. I don’t even know what would make me so tired to just fall asleep like that, anyway.”

They thought about that for the rest of dinner.

“Maybe someone wanted to get you back and thought that making sure to keep you from your own success was a good way to do it,” Harry thought aloud. “They - whoever it was - didn’t want you to get hurt or anything and though that making you tired was the best way to go.”

“Possible,” Tony nodded. “There are several spells that can do it.”

“And potions,” Hermione added slowly, touching upon an idea that had just surfaced.

“Snape, you think?” Ron threw out there.

“I don’t know, Ron,” Remus toyed with his spoon. “Don’t forget. As a Sixth Year, Severus wouldn’t have very much access to the necessary ingredients in the dosages required. Plus, there are spells against the theft of the ingredients needed. They’re locked up in the Potions Master’s rooms.”

“Maybe a spell, then,” Harry nodded.

“Dark magic of some sort,” Sirius frowned. “That’s the only way I can think of.”

“Whoever it was,” Tony grinned. “I bet they thing they’re clever. Just think. The infamous Marauders having been gotten back in such a subtle way that they’re just now figuring it out.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sirius groused good-naturedly. “You know what? I bet Lily did it. She’s the type and was against the prank to begin with. Plus, she’d been awfully smug about something.”

“That _would_ make sense,” Remus chuckled. “Peter had asked and she’d shrugged him off. James hadn’t gotten anything out of her either.”

“Guess we’ll never know,” Harry smiled slightly at the thought that his mother had gotten one over on the self-proclaimed Marauders.

“Don’t think she’d ever intended for us to know,” Sirius hooked a hand around the back of Harry’s neck and squeezed, the younger leaning into him.

Dessert was served some minutes later and the six of them lifted their glasses in silent toast to the sixteen year old Lily Evans, for pulling the wool over the eyes of four of Hogwarts’ most infamous pranksters before or since.

***

Two days later, Sirius and Harry were in front of the Black family tapestry, soaking in a comfortable silence when a smartly dressed black wizard poked his head in.

“Hello,” he smiled slightly. “I’m looking for Headmaster Dumbledore.”

“He’ll be here soon enough,” Sirius stood from where he and Harry had been sitting against the back of the sofa in front of the tapestry. “Can we help you?”

“Albus said to meet him here,” the other wizard studied him and Harry with steady brown eyes. He didn’t have an accent, either. “You must be Sirius Black and Harry Potter. Leon Vance,” he reached out a hand and Sirius took it warily.

“Why do you need to see the Headmaster?” Harry shook his hand next, studying him cautiously.

“I’m to meet with several others at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Politics, you understand.”

“Why Hogwarts, then?” Hermione frowned, coming in with Ron and catching the last statement. “Wouldn’t it be better at the Ministry of Magic?”

“You would think so,” he nodded at her.

“Technically,” Tony came up behind Ron. “The Ministry would be the place to have a political type meeting. In this case, however, the Minister and the Heads of Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Drumstrang have an agreement with the Secretary of Defense concerning the Supervisors of all of the branches of both MNP and NCIS offices all over the world. One of the three European schools - every three years - hosts a meeting with all presiding Agents to either go over changes or address issues concerning any and all Magical personnel.”

Vance smiled slightly. “I’m not sure if I’m surprised you know that, Agent DiNozzo.”

Sirius, Harry, Hermione and Ron straightened.

“You know each other!” Ron exclaimed.

“Everyone,” Tony’s wave encompassed them. “This is Director Vance, responsible for the DC NCIS office and a wizard himself.”

“Your boss?” Hermione’s brown eyes slid from one to the other. Tony and Vance exchanged a wry look.

“Er, technically?” Tony lifted a shoulder. “He’s the one who all the team leaders have to answer to. My boss…”

“Gibbs is a special case,” Vance said flatly.

“Something like that…”

Tony was rubbing his neck when Dumbledore finally showed up, Professor Severus Snape in tow. “Ah, everyone’s here,” Albus smiled at the group. “Director Vance, I assume you are making yourself at home?”

“Headmaster,” he nodded. “If we would?”

“Of course. Forgive the rush, dear boy,” Albus told him. “I was frankly unprepared for this.”

“I understand everyone else was as well,” Snape suddenly piped up, black eyes touching upon Tony before returning to Dumbledore. “I will be a few minutes, Headmaster.”

“Of course, Severus,” he smiled warmly, dismissing him.

“Agent DiNozzo,” Vance turned to him as Snape took his leave. “I will return Christmas Eve to deliver packages to and from the rest of your team.”

“Sir,” he nodded.

Remus joined them as Vance and Dumbledore left.

“You missed the excitement,” Sirius told him. “We met Director Vance and learned about the MNP / NCIS Supervisor Meeting at Hogwarts.”

“Usually, it takes place during the summer holidays,” Remus mused. “Vance came into the DC office six months ago after the previous Director’s death. After a Director leaves office, their successor has a transition period of six months before a Meeting takes place.”

“Vance is Tony’s boss,” Ron told him.

“ _Director_ Vance is the boss of Tony’s boss,” Hermione rolled her eyes. “Right, Tony?” she turned to him, only to find the Italian gone.

They didn’t see him for the rest of the day.

***


	5. Year Five Part III

“I don’t think we should be bothering him, Hermione,” Ron wrung his hands as they and Harry dithered outside of Tony’s room. “I mean, if he doesn’t want to talk to anyone, we shouldn’t force him.”

“Ron, Tony is our friend,” she hissed. “We may not be as close to him as we have everyone think we are, but I really do think of him as a friend and there’s potential for a strong friendship. Harry, you’re closer to him than we are. What do you think?”

Ever since Director Vance had come around four days ago, Tony wasn’t acting like the Trio had been used to. The Italian had a cloud around him that had even Sirius worried. He wasn’t smiling, he wasn’t joking… he was acting in the most un-Tony-like manner and he was really upset about something.

Molly Weasley - having categorized Tony and Sirius as some sort of scum for reasons known only to her - had even expressed worry over the Italian.

So, with Ginny, Fred and George doing some homework ( so they claimed ) and the rest of the household embroiled in an Order meeting, Hermione had decided that enough was enough and had made the boys agree to go with her to confront him.

Harry sighed. “Sorry, Ron, but she’s got a point. And to be honest, I’m worried, too. You didn’t see him in Diagon Alley when we all thought Sirius was a cold-blooded killer. You especially didn’t see him the night me and Hermione got turned around at the Quidditch World Cup. This man,” he pointed at the closed door, “is nothing like the one I’ve been getting to know.”

Ron looked from one to the other. Sighing, he conceded the point. “Alright. But I still think you should have let me bring him some tea.”

“I’d like to take a guess at where that tea would end up,” Harry grinned. Hermione giggled as they remembered that morning’s excitement.

Remus had went to visit Sirius in his room with Buckbeak and Harry, Ron and Hermione had almost been run over as Remus and Padfoot raced past, no less than three teacups flying after them.

When Harry had caught up to them, Remus had explained that he and Sirius had gone up to Tony’s room to invite him to tea and Tony took exception to it.

Sirius, to Harry’s amusement, had spent most of the remaining hours leading up to the Order meeting slinking around in his dog form, peering around corners and keeping alert for dive-bombing tea cups.

Hermione gave one last look to her two best friends and knocked. “Tony? It’s us. Can we talk to you? It’s kind of important.”

Pressing his ear to the door, Ron shook his head. “Nothing.”

“He might have a silencing charm,” she suggested. She knocked a little louder. “Tony?”

“Er, guys…”

“Not now, Harry,” Hermione waved him off. “Tony, we really need to talk to you.”

“Guys…”

“Hermione’s right, mate,” Ron added. “We’re worried about you is all.”

“Guys.”

Ignoring Harry, Ron and Hermione pressed their ears to the door and frowned at the continued silence. “Try it again,” Ron urged.

Hermione nodded. “Tony, if you don’t open this door right now -”

“Do I want to know why you think I’m in the linen closet?”

“Tony!” Hermione whirled around to see Harry collapse into laughter and Tony raise an inquiring eyebrow at them from an open door across the hall. “But what do you mean? Isn’t this your room?”

Ron studied the door and peeked in. “He’s right,” he opened the door with a laugh. “It really _is_ a linen closet!”

Hermione blushed as her friends laughed.

“That’s why,” Tony chuckled, “one of our rules is to never take information at face value. You either check until you’re satisfied that you’ve got everything, exhausted every possible angle, or kicked off the crime scene,” he finished ruefully.

Hermione made note of that and returned to the topic at hand. “Tony, we really feel the need to talk to you.”

“I see,” he dipped his head once and studied them.

“Well, I guess we’d understand if you only wanted to talk to Harry,” Ron piped up after a few minutes. “It’s only fair. I mean, Harry was first, right, Hermione?”

She would rather be there, too, but she could understand well enough that if Tony wanted to talk, then Harry was the one who would be told.

Harry nodded in agreement.

Tony sighed as he looked at them each in the eye. “No,” he said after a minute. “I think you three should hear this all at once. You’ll probably end up getting it all out of him anyway.”

“True enough,” Harry smiled slightly in relief.

Tony bade them to enter and closed the door as they looked around. The bedroom that they found themselves in was no different than one of the many other rooms located in Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. Bedside table, mirror, chest of drawers, connecting bathroom…

“Hey, Tony,” Ron suddenly frowned at him. “You didn’t join the Order, right? Why are you here, then?”

“Well,” Tony went to sit on the small sofa near the fireplace. “Maybe… I think it’s easier to understand if you hear it from the beginning. Okay, so you met Vance, right? Well, the Director that Lupin told you about was our boss before she died. I’ll get to that in a minute.” Tony rubbed a hand through his short brown hair. “Merlin. It’s such a long story and I don’t actually know where the actual start is.”

He was getting agitated and stood to pace in front of the Trio, who had taken seats on his bed.

“Where do you think it is?” Hermione prompted encouragingly, nothing but concern in chocolate brown eyes.

‘To hell with classified…’

“When Gibbs lost his memory,” Tony needed no pause. “That was the catalyst. I don’t know… I think that’s what started it…”

Ron, Harry and Hermione listened as Tony told them about his boss losing his memory. They listened when Tony walked them through the grief he went through and how Jethro Gibbs had went to Mexico. They sat through Ziva David going straight to their former boss; Abby Scuito pining away for Gibbs to come back; Ziva and Tim McGee undermining him; how everyone except two had over and over told him that he wasn’t Gibbs; Jeanne Benoit; Gibbs coming back; Paula; finding out about ‘The Frog’; and then… and then… Los Angeles, Jen Sheppard, Agent Afloat…

By the time Tony had run out of words, it was almost dawn and Hermione had attached herself to his side. Ron was sitting across from them on the floor, elbows propped on his knees, head and hands hanging down, the whole sordid tale running through his mind.

Harry was between Ron and Hermione and Tony, facing the bed, cross-legged and hands clasped as he was lost in thought. Hermione had her legs folded against her chest as her arms wrapped around one of Tony’s; head pressing into his shoulder. She was hurting for him, she really was.

Tony just sat there, staring over Ron’s bowed head, seemingly oblivious to the three that he’d just poured out to or the tears he’d started shedding sometime around three in the morning.

None of the three knew what to say. Their friend had been through the wringer and came out a mess. His self-esteem was so far down the drain that Harry had the hysterical notion of suggesting a trip to the Chamber of Secrets to look for it. Tony didn’t feel that he could trust his team to support him, which they should have done instead of belittle him and undermine his authority and going directly toward the other option without _thinking_ of Tony. And the team as a whole?

They were all throwing a tantrum for not getting what they wanted, like spoiled children!

“I’m so sorry,” Hermione swiped at her cheeks. “That behavior is just… unacceptable.”

Tony freed his arm and drew her into a tight hug.

Harry closed his eyes and nodded, throat tight.

“I think you should go for being a teacher.”

Hermione, Harry and Tony stared at Ron.

“What? I mean, I don’t know about you, but I would think about being a teacher. At least then, you’d have support,” Ron lifted a shoulder. “I wouldn’t trust that lot anymore. Yeah, you’re better off teaching.”

“Teaching you three?”

“Why not?” Ron grinned widely. “We’ll have great fun! Projects and dodging Peeves and the staircases and -”

“If that’s the best you can do, no thanks,” Tony had to smile. “I’d probably need to be under Imperious to even go that far.”

“It’s still interesting to think about,” Ron told him. “You have to admit.”

Hermione curled tighter into Tony. “I just can’t believe someone would use you like that,” she said quietly. “We wouldn’t. Not even if it was our families on the line.”

“But, you know what I wouldn’t take back?” Tony grinned at them. “Every bit of contact that we had made me want to go on and not - say - drive into the Potomac. I remembered that there are kids like you out there and every word you all wrote gave me that reminder. It felt like there really was someone out there that believed in me,” Tony pressed a kiss into soft brown hair.

“We do,” Harry told him. “You know, it was nice to hear from you and get your take on our problems. I mean, you - you got me through one of the absolute worst times in my life and it felt really good to have people not believe those stupid rumors.”

“Yeah,” Ron nodded. “I know I didn’t do my best as a friend, but I’m glad you were there to help Harry and Hermione get over what they couldn’t say to my face.”

They sat in silence for a bit.

“Who were they?”

Tony looked at Harry. “What?”

“Did you have anyone who you could at least a little trust?”

“For sure,” Tony nodded. “Jimmy Palmer. I think he was my best friend all through that. You know, I still have friends from when I was at school.”

“Did you tell them about -”

“Good Merlin, no!” he cut Harry off. “One thing you have to understand about my three friends is that they have a very strong set of morals and ethics. I don’t want to involve any of them solely for the fear that they would do something that they wouldn’t be able to take back.”

“What makes you think we won’t?” Ron frowned at him.

“Because you’re all too good for that,” Tony lifted a shoulder. “Anyway, thanks for listening to me whine to you.”

“Tony,” Hermione picked her head up to look at him. “If anyone needed to let out their problems, it would be you. I’m just glad you talked to someone.”

“I just can’t believe you had the Plague,” Harry confessed.

“Coming from you, I’ll take that as an honorable mention.”

“I guess we should put in an appearance,” Hermione sighed. The others nodded and stood. It was as Harry leaned forward on his hands that his sharp eyes caught something under the bed.

“Tony, is that what I think it is?”

“Well, I couldn’t very well chuck them all out a window, could I?” he grinned.

“We’ve been looking for those cups,” Hermione crossed her arms with a playful smirk.

“Then stop giving me tea,” he groused, helping Ron gather the cups from under his bed. “I swear. Never been so exasperated in all my life…”

Sirius and Remus noted a change among the four when they finally came downstairs. The quartet looked so emotionally wrung out over something that had obviously occurred between them that not even Molly could get angry with them.

No one said a thing when the Trio went to sleep after breakfast. Remus found Sirius - as Padfoot - curled around Tony a few hours later in the library, both sound asleep.

***

　


	6. Ch. Three again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh, if you guys aren't familiar with JAG, don't worry about it. I'll come back to it in the future because I think I have a plan for Mac and I've always wanted to have her be good friends with Tony.

***

“It’s snowing,” Ron pointed out, the house in yet another Order meeting.

“The white stuff coming down from the sky, yes,” Tony quipped from where he was curled around his sketchbook in the corner of the room that they had all been dumped in.

“That’s a good looking snowman,” Ginny admired over his shoulder.

“Think so?” Tony grinned at her. “Thanks.”

“It’d look better in the country,” Hermione looked up from where she was petting Crookshanks. “I love looking out from the train and seeing the snow fall.”

“I’ve had many cases in the country,” Tony recalled.

Fred and George looked up from… Harry didn’t really want to know. “You’re an Auror, right?” Fred raised a hand.

“If you all want to call me an Auror, go ahead,” he waved at him.

“How come you’re not part of the Order, then?” George tilted his head at him.

“You never did tell us,” Ron suddenly remembered. After all, Tony’s story had taken priority.

“Slipped my mind,” Tony tilted his head back against the wall and sighed. “I was Agent Afloat - an assignment on the water with a Naval ship - until a month ago, give or take. My team mates had holiday plans and Vance had taken us off the clock. I didn’t really have plans and I needed a break, so I thought I’d hang out at the Leaky Cauldron. Well, I got there and I ran into Dumbledore. He took one look at me and dragged me out. Next thing I know, I’m in the middle of a red-haired crowd.”

“You did look terrible,” Hermione sympathized.

“Is that why you all keep giving me tea?”

“It’s our thing,” Ginny nudged him teasingly. “If we think you so much as _think_ you’re upset, we give you tea.”

“By the gallon,” Ron nodded.

“Feels like I’ve been drinking my weight in tea,” Tony smiled at the laughter. “Speaking of which…”

The kids watched him head for the toilet.

“It happens,” Ginny shrugged. She looked at the abandoned sketchbook.

“Ginny,” Hermione frowned as the younger girl picked it up. “I don’t think he would like you rifling through his things.”

“C’mon, Hermione,” George waved her off as he and Fred scuttled over. “He should have known better than to leave these things lying around.”

Ginny flipped the sketchbook to the first page and smiled slightly. “It’s the Sorting Hat.”

Harry and Ron immediately went over to look as Hermione huffed.

Ginny showed them the Sorting Hat; the Hogwarts crest; a group of intricate snowflakes in close up detail; what Harry remembered as the NCIS logo; an elderly man in a bow-tie and glasses with the caption stating a Dr. Ducky Mallard; Fawkes the phoenix; and finally what they figured as the MNP logo with an phoenix in flight, an owl on one side and an eagle on the other.

“Owl for a Magical government organization, America’s bald eagle and the phoenix for rising from the ashes of our country’s trials.” Blue, green and brown guiltily raised to see Tony in the doorway.

“Sorry, Tony,” Hermione sat back on her heels, having crawled over.

“That’s fine,” he smiled at them. “Just don’t go near my work sketchbook. I don’t think you need anymore nightmares than what you’ve already got.”

Ginny flushed slightly as she nodded. “Got it.”

Harry took the book from her as Ginny decided that she wanted to get a head start on Herbology. Fred and George went back to whatever they were doing as Ginny went to get her things.

Ron just sat there and watched Tony come toward the Trio. “You’re really good,” he told him as the older wizard settled next to them.

“You really are,” Hermione nodded in agreement.

Harry kept an ear on them as he flipped through a few more pages.

Remus, Ron and Hermione in the drawing room; Ginny and Crookshanks curled in an armchair; Fred and George grinning at him from the top of the kitchen stairs; Sirius and Harry himself leaning against each other in helpless laughter as Fred and George found out the hard way why Remus “Moony” Lupin was a Marauder; the London Eye and Big Ben; Hedwig and Pig; Harry, Ron and Hermione goofing around in the Black family library…

Harry smiled slightly as he found five smartly dressed people smiling goofily back.

“Who are they?” Hermione leaned closer.

“Lt. Commander Sturgis,” Tony pointed to the large black man in the group. “That’s Bud Roberts,” he pointed to a friendly-looking smaller man, “his wife Harriet,” a homely-looking female, “Lt. Commander Harm Rabb,” a tall man with a big smile, “and Marine Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie, but we call her ‘Mac’. She’s one of my good friends. I almost tossed Harm into prison once, you know.”

Hermione smiled slightly. “It’s good to see you two are friends now,” she noted. “How did they fit in with what was going on with you?”

Tony lifted a shoulder. “Sturgis and Bud and Harriet asked after me from time to time. Ensign Tiner and Gunny Galindez dropped by once or twice to drag me to lunch after Palmer made them come over. Harm had been loaded with one problem or another. Mac was the one who demanded updates. Oh, she knew something else was going on and… she met Jeanne once, you know.”

Ron tilted his head at him. “Did they get along?”

Tony smiled widely at that. “Well, see, Jeanne was absolutely _certain_ that I was seeing Mac on the side,” he chuckled. “So, one day, she invited herself along on a lunch get together at the urging of her friends.”

Harry looked to Ron and Hermione, who were also starting to smile. “And…?”

“We were in the middle of waiting for our food when Jeanne suddenly apologizing to Mac for thinking that she was trying to steal me away. Apparently, some of her friends and co-workers were sure that I was seeing another woman. Jeanne had been so embarrassed when she saw our interaction that she was yelling at a group of her friends when I picked her up after work later that day. Get this: I walked in on them in time to hear Jeanne berating them for making her think I was dating someone else and having her make a fool of herself in front of a woman that was ‘obviously’ my sister!”

“That’s sweet!” Hermione grinned.

“I guess you two look like each other,” Ron and Harry looked from sketch to Tony and back again.

“When I told Jeanne that we weren’t actually siblings, she told me that appearances had nothing to do with it. It was what she saw and I bet you she still believes that to this day. And, I overheard her talking to a friend, saying that even if I was seeing Mac, I would be the one on the short end of it.”

“Why not?” Hermione frowned at him. “I would date you. I mean, if I wasn’t already thinking of you as an uncle or something…”

As Tony’s smile went iridescent, Harry shook his head. “But Mac’s already got her heart set on this bloke,” he tapped Harm’s image.

“Oh, wait ‘til I tell Mac that a bunch of kids took one look at a group picture and _immediately_ picked out her secret interest!” Tony wheezed in absolute delight.

“Not very ‘secret’, is it?” Ron chuckled, gently knocking his arm against Harry’s leg.

Hermione cracked a smile at Tony’s laughter. It was really good to make him happy after all the grief he’d been through.

Ginny got back and looked out the window. “It’s really coming down out there.”

“It’ll keep for another two hours or so,” Tony said off-hand as he reached over to the sketchbook still sitting in Harry’s hands and flipped the page to a new picture.

Harry made a note to keep an eye on both window and clock, as he remembered the last time he’d heard Tony predict a weather event, and smiled at himself and Remus sat on either side of Sirius, who had a thoughtful look on his face. Remembering that conversation, Harry nodded as he finally came upon the latest sketch featuring a snowman. Giving the book back, Harry took a moment to enjoy having his friends around him.

“So, MNP,” Hermione sat Indian-style in front of Tony. “Anything on Death Eaters?”

“And you automatically forget I’ve been on a carrier,” Tony lamented before sobering. “Mac’s been keeping up with things on her end. There’s been increased traveling in and out of Britain, but right now everything’s quiet.”

“Mac’s a witch?”

“Yeah, that was one of the first things I found out about her,” he absently rubbed his left shoulder. “Marines are some of the best kind of Magic users you could dream of having with you. On one hand, I’m sorry that my boss can’t use magic, but it’s probably a good thing. You haven’t seen him on a bad case. The man is in a class all his own just the way he is.”

“They have different uniforms than the rest of the Navy?” Ron reached over to flip the sketchbook back to the right page.

“Well, yeah. See, Mac is in the Marines and you can always tell them apart because they would have green uniforms. Their hats tell them apart when they’re all in parade dress and they all have a different rank system than the sailors.”

“It’s Christmas Eve,” Ginny suddenly piped up, breaking into their conversation.

“Christmas Eve, the snow is falling, our friends are all together, you’re stating the obvious…”

“Ron,” Hermione frowned at the redhead, who lifted a shoulder.

“Well, she is.”

“Hey,” Harry got up to look at the snow. “Isn’t that Director Vance?”

They crowded around him and Tony sighed as he caught sight of the figure coming to a stop in front of Number Twelve. “That’s him alright,” he bitterly confirmed, running a hand through his hair. The group watched the house admit him and decided that the meeting was over in the kitchen.

Leaving their things where they sat, Tony, Hermione, Harry and the Weasleys headed downstairs.

“There you all are,” Molly waved at them as she saw them enter the sitting room. “We’re almost ready for dinner. Would you all help set the table?”

Vance gave Tony a look and said, “Agent DiNozzo. If I could see you for a moment?”

“You all go ahead,” Tony waved the others on. “I’ll be there soon enough.”

Tony reappeared right as everyone sat down for dinner. His slipping in next to Bill Weasley did not go unnoticed by the Trio or Marauders.

“Think something happened?” Ron questioned, eyeing the Italian.

“Maybe it’s just because of Vance,” Harry scowled, scooping a new spoonful of yams onto his plate. “Remember what he told us?”

“I guess I don’t want anything to happen to his team or anything,” Hermione sighed. “But the way they abandoned him is something I just cannot condone.”

“What do you mean?” Remus asked.

“Well,” Harry looked at his friends. ‘How can I explain?’ “Tony was going through some stuff and his team didn’t support him, even though it seemed like they knew that something was going on with him. I get that he was under orders of secrecy and they don’t really trust him anymore, but he doesn’t trust them, either! They keep beating him down and won’t allow him to redeem himself and that’s petty and childish and I can’t believe that they’re all blaming him for what he couldn’t control!

“He was being used and they should’ve supported him like I would if I didn’t know what was going on with Ron or Hermione because they’re my friends and I’ll support them because that’s what friends do. If they had shown faith in him, I would bet the Firebolt that he would’ve thought twice about taking the assignment! It’s their fault he needed to prove himself and I won’t forgive them for it!”

Breathing hard, Harry was dimly aware of the silence following his proclamation and was suprised to find that he'd stood up at some point. Feeling heat flood his face, he slowly looked down the table to see all attention on him.

“Harry, dear,” Molly leaned forward. “Whatever is the matter?”

“Erm…” he sunk down, knowing without doubt that he resembled a Quaffle. Embarrassed emerald green eyes turned to Tony, the git laughing behind his coffee mug.

“Good to see you feel that way,” Tony valiantly spoke up. “I’d feel the same way if it were me.” Seeing the glances, he lifted a shoulder. “I recommended one of Thom E. Gemcity’s books. He’s an American author that - never mind. It’s just good to know that Harry’s been keeping up with his reading skills.”

“I get it,” Charlie nodded. “He’s feeling sympathetic toward one of the characters, is he?”

Harry smiled ruefully at his Italian friend in thanks for getting the spotlight off him and got a wink in response. Sirius was chuckling at the pair of them when Remus asked Hermione what was wrong.

She had one of those looks on her face, which her two friends recognized as when she’d finally solved a mystery that she hadn’t been able to figure out, as she pointed at Tony. “Now I know why Agent Tommy seems so familiar!”

Tony just stared before he began beating his head against the table.

***


	7. Christmas Fifth Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: For my purposes, sorcery is another name for magic. It's basically the same thing, but I just wanted to get that out there before someone sends me a fifty page email about the history and origins of magic and why sorcery is different. For this universe, it's not going to matter. 
> 
> The end is in sight with this story. But fair warning...
> 
> 'Summer Contacts' is just the beginning.

Christmas came around and Harry allowed Ron and Ginny to drag him out of bed and down the stairs where everyone was already waiting for him.

“Now that we’re all here,” Molly smiled widely as she took them all in with sparkling eyes. “Let’s begin.”

Arthur had been released a few days previous and the other Weasleys had gathered around him. Harry found a spot with Tony, Hermione, Sirius and Remus.

“Happy Christmas,” Hermione grinned as she handed him a gift. The others echoed as he dug in and found yet another Weasley jumper.

“Hey,” Sirius looked up from admiring the jumper that Remus had gotten to look at Tony. “That’s nice.”

“It is, isn’t it?” he held up a tie. “My co-worker gave me this.”

“Which one?” Hermione asked, pausing from opening her present from an Aunt in Spain.

“Ziva. McGee gave me a flash drive, but I’m going to need a computer to see what’s on it. Abby gave me a scarf,” he showed them a white scarf with a winterized bat on either end. “Ducky gave me tickets to a movie I want to see; my boss, er, well, it’s a tradition better left to us; and my friend Palmer gave me a book on American Potions ingredients vs. those found in Britain.”

“There’s another wizard you work with?” Ron asked from his spot next to Bill.

“He’s more Herbology than anything else,” Tony shook his head mournfully. “Though, he’s come a long way from when we first met. I still keep telling him to brush up on his Defense spells, because I won’t always be there to keep him out of trouble.”

“Did he tell you that he was a wizard?” Hermione wanted to know.

“Nope,” Tony picked up a present from Bill Weasley. “My unit supervisor at the MNP is the one who keeps tabs on all incoming wizards and witches to the Navy Yard. Then, it’ll be my responsibility as Senior Agent to make sure all the Magical Personnel know each other and how to get in contact for any reason without drawing attention to themselves. We have meetings every once in awhile to keep in touch and up to date.”

“How many are there?” Remus looked up from a package of Sugar Quills. “In your building, I mean.”

“Not including Palmer,” Tony thought for a minute. “You know Vance is one… a witch on a different team on my floor and six others around the building, if I’m not mistaken.”

“That must be interesting,” Hermione commented, smiling at the charm bracelet that Ginny gave her.

“One way to say it,” Tony stared off into space for a moment before shaking it off and grabbing the next present.

Harry smiled slightly as he went through his presents.

Remus got him too bars of Honeyduke’s chocolate, as Ron got him a new Quidditch manual. Hermione got him a new quill set and the others got him other odds and ends. Soon enough, he came to Tony’s present. Opening it, he saw that it was a black tee with green writing. “ ‘Born to Fly’,” he read aloud.

“That reminds me,” Sirius sat back with a laugh. “Remus, remember James always took Harry up for a ride when he got fussy and Lily was away?”

“Of course,” Remus chuckled. “We all took turns. But, of course, James and Sirius would fight and argue about whose turn it was to take Harry for a ride. Lily finally made a schedule to shut them both up.”

Harry smiled slightly, the five of them falling into silence.

“Hermione,” Tony piped up to dispel the silence. “Open yours.”

Her tee was a light pink with blue writing proclaiming her as ‘Library Princess’.

Ron showed them his own tee, orange background with navy blue writing labeling him as ‘Chess Champ’. “Thanks, Tony!” It wasn’t often that he got new clothes and he was really happy that his mate’s friend sent out a branch to him, as well.

“Speaking of new clothes,” Hermione smiled slyly. “Tony, we have something for you.”

Eying the assembled Trio in front of him, Tony picked up a flat box and frowned. “When did you get this?”

“Well,” Harry grinned slightly. “We ordered it and used my name.”

“It came in last week,” Ron told him. “Lupin went to get it.”

“I needed some things anyway,” the older man told them modestly. “It was on my way.”

Opening the box, Tony stared a moment before lifting out of the box a midnight blue traveling cloak.

“It was actually Neville’s idea,” Ginny piped up from where she sat next to her father. “We overheard him talking about getting something for his grandmother and I saw him talking with Hermione. The Trio were clustered over a catalogue that very night.”

“Wow, guys,” Tony smiled widely as he stood and held his new cloak out in front of him.

“It’s waterproof and fireproof,” Ron added.

“And there are warming charms all over it,” Hermione noted, watching as her delighted friend tried it on.

“Lightening charm, fleece inside,” Tony muttered, swishing it around. “I hope you all know you’ll never get rid of me now,” he told them solemnly. “Not if I keep getting nice things like this!”

“That’s not all, either,” Harry grinned. “Look on the inside of the lining.”

It took a few minutes before Tony found it. When he did, Tony had to laugh. “Marking me, are you?” he teased.

Curious, Sirius got up and peeked. “A moon hiding behind a cloud with a lightning bolt coming from it,” he mused. “That’s Harry for the lighting bolt and Remus for the moon. Then a book settled next to a chess piece, with a black ‘M’ on the cover, in a window. Hermione, Ron and me, I reckon.”

“Professor,” Hermione piped up. “We hope you and Sirius don’t mind. We didn’t think when we came up with a design…”

“I’m fine with it,” Remus also looked it over, seemingly pleased to be included.

“I’m just glad you didn’t forget me,” Sirius quipped, also pleased. The others had opened their own presents and it was time for breakfast.

*

A little before lunch, Sirius took Harry aside and gave him a small package that fit into the palm of his hand. “James came up with the idea,” Sirius told him as he watched green eyes study the newly uncovered mirror. “I have the other mirror and I just thought we could use them to keep in touch.”

Harry immediately grabbed him and clung to him awhile, Sirius holding on just as tight. They stayed like that until Remus went looking for them.

Hermione had the sense to not ask when Harry slipped into the seat next to her at the table.

“What’s wrong?” Ron frowned at slightly reddened eyes as his best mate swiped a hand over them.

“Just something Sirius gave me,” Harry shook his head, smiling down at his pocket where he had stashed the mirror. He would tell them about it, but not yet. It was his dad’s and he felt entitled to keeping it to himself for a bit.

Lunch started and the first few minutes were solely dedicated to the food in front of them.

Sirius, Remus and Tony were across from Hermione, Harry and Ron, as they seemed to gather almost automatically during mealtimes. Molly Weasley was keeping an ear on the group of six to make sure the pair of Order members didn’t bring up information that was best kept to the Order.

“So, Tony,” Remus smiled at him. “I noticed you disappeared for a few hours after breakfast a few days ago. We couldn’t find you for anything.”

“Oh, I was visiting a different friend in London,” he shrugged. “It’s a long story. No big thing. Anyway, are you all having a good break?”

“One of the best,” Harry grinned, sharing a look with Sirius. “Besides my First Year, that is.”

“Yeah,” Ron nodded. “It was the first time he ever got a - OW!” he yelped, glaring at his friend as he rubbed his leg from where he got kicked.

“That was when Harry got the Cloak,” Hermione smoothly intervened. The Trio had always agreed to never tell Sirius about Harry’s life with the Dursleys. Remus would feel bad about the circumstances surrounding Harry being placed in their care, even though he couldn’t have done anything. And Tony? It was probably imperative that he be kept in the dark as well, though Hermione was starting to suspect that Tony was starting to get a pretty good idea regardless.

“Ah, yes,” Sirius nodded. “I wondered what ever happened to it. Who gave it to you?”

“Professor Dumbledore.”

Tony shook his head. “If I’m right and you got into even half of the trouble we got into back at school, I would bet my car that Dumbledore’s regretting it now.”

“What kind of trouble did you get into?” Ron leaned forward with interest. He was very curious about his American counterparts and what trouble Tony could possibly have gotten into.

“I remember you telling us about some people from school?” Hermione prompted. “What were they like?”

Tony thought for a minute. “Well, without naming names, one of my friends - we call her ‘Booker’, don’t ask - she’s a writer. Mostly plays and things. One of my other friends, ‘Sparky’, is a fashion designer and would always insist on designing the costumes and sometimes we let her design our clothes. Our last friend in the group, ‘Pin’, was the Dean’s son.”

“So it was like having your own Harry Potter,” Sirius laughed.

“Kind of. Oh, a Dean is sort of like a Headmaster,” Tony explained to the kids. “There’s the supervising Dean and then there are the Heads of House.”

“You had Houses, too?” Harry wanted to know.

“Yeah. It wasn’t as fancy as you all have it.”

“What House were you in?”

“Well, there were four, like Hogwarts, and they all had their specialties and traits and all that. But we didn’t have a Sorting Hat.”

“So how did you find out what House you were in?” Hermione wanted to know.

“We had to take tests,” he deadpanned with a straight face.

“Bloody Hell!” Ron exclaimed, disgusted at the very idea. Then, he took a closer look at Tony’s face and reached over to punch him on the arm. “Very funny, mate.”

“I thought so,” he snickered.

“Tony,” Hermione rolled her eyes at him. “How did you really?”

“Well,” Tony wiped his mouth with his napkin. Done with his joking, “One of the traditions for First Years is to take them on a scenic route to get to dinner. It’s pretty similar to your boat ride across the lake. But us, we walk over a bridge to get to the start of the path. When you get to the halfway point of the bridge, there’s this little box that you have to reach in and get a small pebble. That pebble is what you have to keep in your hands for the entire trek to get to the school.

“Now, I know that you all have the Sorting first thing at the beginning of the year. That’s not how it works with us. You get to dinner, with your pebble, and you get introduced to everyone else. If your pebble changes color while you are in the middle of dinner, that’s great. If it doesn’t, that just means that your pebble has to dig a little deeper to find your House. Now, these stones are from the school’s foundations and they are extremely accurate. There is no second guessing. Once you have a color, you are in that House for seven years.

“A lot of the time, it can take up to a week before you get your solid color. It’s not unusual to have your pebble move from one color to another at first, but there are quite a few students who have their pebble immediately stay with a color within the first few minutes of entering the Hall. Now, as to the colors, you can get Green, Yellow, Red or Blue. Green students automatically get to go to Aberdeen, or ‘A’ House. They are very good at Potions and Ancient Runes.

“Yellow students are Bethany - B House - and Herbology is their main thing, but they are also good at History and Social Science courses and electives. Blue students are members of Carinthia House ( C House ) and they do well Arithmancy, Ancient Runes and a number of other things like Charms and Transfiguration.”

“And those who get Red pebbles?” Harry wanted to know, thinking that it all sounded a lot like Hogwarts and its Houses.

“Dulcet House,” Tony sighed. “They are exceptional at Charms, incredible at Transfiguration and _phenomenal_ at Defense Against the Dark Arts and Care of Magical Creatures. And when Third Year comes around, they have a pretty neat way to give you an instrument, because, you know, music is a part of the school’s culture.”

“That’s sounds fascinating,” Hermione grinned, her eyes lighting up in that way only reserved for difficult homework assignments, trivial information, Gilderoy Lockhart and interesting puzzles. “What House were you in? How long did it take your pebble to stay on the color? What instrument were you assigned? Do you still play? Can you -”

“Let the man eat, Hermione,” Ron looked ready to clamp a hand over her mouth. “The man looks like he’s wasting away!”

“Now that I look back on it all,” Tony frowned, crossing his arms thoughtfully. “I’m finding some interesting connections.”

“Such as?” Remus smiled at him.

“Well, technically, I’d be considered a Gryffindor,” he deadpanned. “D House is notorious for turning out adrenalin junkies. Well, they’re leaders, too. I hear that’s something similar to you Gryffindors.”

“An American Gryffindor,” Hermione shook her head. “I never would have imagined ever meeting one.”

“The Sorting Hat told you that Gryffindor would be the best House for you,” Harry remembered the ongoing in-joke they had about being Housemates.

“And if both Hat and Pebble agree, then that’s what I am,” Tony nodded.

“You didn’t answer the other questions,” Sirius pointed out. “Like your instrument.”

“Well, I play both guitar and piano,” Tony shrugged. “The piano threw everyone off coming from left field, let me tell you. I still remember Sparky bursting into my Dorm room shrieking at the top of her lungs that I’m one of the few in my year with more than one instrument. I still play them both, but I don’t have them with me right now. Yeah, my color went Red pretty much immediately.”

“I guess we’re in good company, then,” Sirius slapped him on the arm. “Technically, you are one of us Gryffindors.”

Something in Tony’s voice caught Hermione’s attention, though. “Tony, what exactly do you mean ‘pretty much immediately’?”

“Well… It’s pretty uncommon that a pebble turns a color right away. They start milky white, see, and the professors and other volunteers keeping us on the path had to make sure we all had ours with us before we went on.” Tony looked down at his plate. “When they looked at mine… it had already turned Red. I found out later that no one has ever had a color so early.”

Harry couldn’t help but feel a stronger connection to Tony. Like him, Tony had inadvertently created a historical rewrite of the school’s chapter and it wasn’t like he knew what had happened because no one had ever had a decision within that small timeframe before. “In the history of the school?”

“In the history of the school,” Tony sighed as he nodded.

“And what exactly was the school you went to?” Remus wanted to know.

Tony turned to look at Harry, something glittering in dark green eyes. “The Norman Creswell Institute for Sorcery.”

“…You’re kidding,” Harry let out a surprised laugh.

“What?” Ron frowned at them. “What are you talking about?”

Hermione shook her head. “Ron, remember where Tony works?”

It took him a minute, but he finally got it. “Bloody Hell!”

“It must have been destiny,” Harry gasped for air before falling back into the laughter.

“Sparky’s into Divination, so she’s been insufferable ever since she heard.”

The Trio’s laughter finally caught everyone else’s attention.

“I still don’t get it,” Remus frowned.

Sirius eyed Tony and the light suddenly clicked on. “I don’t believe it.”

“Naval Criminal Investigative Service, remember?” Tony smirked at the werewolf as Sirius started laughing as well. “Norman Creswell Institute for Sorcery? Ring any bells?”

“N…C…I…S… Good Merlin…”

“That’s not even the half of it!” Tony chuckled. He and the others would have let the rest of the room in on the joke had they been there at the time.

***

Later that day, as Ginny and the twins were doing something or another, Harry, Ron and Hermione found themselves outside of Tony’s room much like they did days earlier. His real door, not the linen closet as Ron had checked.

Knocking, Hermione called, “Tony? Are you alright? We haven’t seen you for a few hours…”

“Hey, guys,” Tony opened the door with a grin. “Yeah, come on in.” The Trio found seats as Tony seemed to vibrate in front of them, he was so excited. “Alright,” he clapped his hands together, rubbing briskly. “Now that we’re alone, it’s time for my other gifts to come out of hiding.”

“Other gifts?” Harry frowned as Tony rummaged in his sock drawer. “Tony, you don’t need to. I’m alright with the present I’ve got!”

Ron and Hermione were about to agree, but Tony shook his head. “These are different, though.” He turned back to them with a small bag in hand. “What I’ve got here is something that I was playing around with. They’re radios,” he lifted one out that was red and blue. “I just thought it’d be more interesting trying to use them than having to constantly be trying to track each other down.”

Ron got the blue and red one, Harry got one in black and green and Hermione got one in two shades of brown.

“How do they work?” Ron wanted to know, spotting a dial next to the antenna.

Tony got out what they assumed to be his own radio ( blue and white ) and pointed to the dial. “See this? It shows what channel you’re on. Say for instance, I wanted to get a hold of Harry and I didn’t know where he was. I would just turn the knob here until this arrow points to the lightning bolt.”

Tony demonstrated turning the dial for Ron as Harry and Hermione already knew and turned it. He then pressed down on the side button and spoke into it. “Potter, this is DiNozzo. What’s your twenty?”

The other three grinned as Tony’s voice came out of their own radios.

“Wicked!” Ron grinned, turning the dial so that the arrow landed on a badge. “This is you, right?” he spoke into it, lighting up as Tony’s radio squawked.

Tony explained that the radios only worked within fifty miles ( a little more than 80 kilometers - thank you Yahoo Calculator!) of each other and were both shatter and water proofed. “So,” he shrugged. “Should I be in Hogsmeade, I’ll be able to talk to you in the school.”

“This will _definitely_ come in handy,” Hermione assured him. “Thank you so much!”

“More than welcome,” he winked. “Though, I’d recommend keeping them secret. You could do a lot of things if no one else knows you all have a secret way of getting information to each other.”

“Like how we have the Cloak and the Map,” Ron added, he and Hermione having been told by Harry what Tony did or did not know. “Now that we have the radios, no one would be able to suspect a thing!”

“And a Muggle way at that,” Harry nodded thoughtfully.

“Will it work on school grounds?” Hermione asked.

“Well, I was hoping you could help with that,” Tony told her. “Right now, it works on battery and magic, but it’s only about a mile ( almost a kilometer and a half ). You’ll have to do something with it until it gets used to being run on magic.”

“We’ll start using them when we get the chance,” she assured.

“You have your volume button and a dial that shows how you want to be notified of income transmissions, like the radio glowing or something,” Tony shrugged. “It’ll automatically switch to the channel being used, but if anyone else wants in on the conversation, they’ll need to know what channel they need to be on.”

“Sounds fair,” Harry nodded. “There are just these four, though, right?”

“Made them myself,” Tony told him. “It took me the better part of three months, but I really didn’t know what else to do on that ship…”

 


	8. Back to School

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something's going on with the edit options here. I mean, you can still read it, but I think it works better when the italics are working like they're supposed to.

 

As the first day of term neared, Harry spent his time between Sirius, Hermione, Tony, Remus and Ron. Sometimes by themselves and sometimes in a group.

New Years’ Eve rolled around and Sirius was holding still for a sketch as himself, with the promise of keeping the portrait for himself. Well, it was the only thing to do, seeing as how Sirius was still a wanted man.

“You really are very good,” Remus told the Italian from where he had stationed himself against a bookshelf in the Black family library. Hermione was investigating the books nearby as Ron sat in the corner, his new Quidditch books spread around him.

“Thanks,” Tony spared him a smile before returning his attention to the man in front of him. “Don’t think I didn’t see that! Put your hand back where you had it.”

The others grinned as Sirius huffed and returned all to their original positions.

“You won’t get away with much,” Remus laughed. “Tony’s got a sixth sense when it comes to what’s not right.”

Hermione looked over her shoulder with sparkling brown eyes. “I think Fred and George found that out the hard way.”

The twins had tried to pull a fast one on Tony that morning. Neither had expected their own prank to be used on them an hour later.

“It never would have occurred to me,” Ron commented. “That pillow looked the same as the other ones…”

“Well, I’m trained to look at things differently,” Tony shrugged modestly, glaring at Sirius in case he tried to move again.

“So, Tony,” Remus smiled warmly. “Will you be around in the future?”

“Who knows,” he tilted his head. “I do have a high demanding job that requires me to risk my life on a near daily basis.”

“I hope we do,” Hermione went back to the shelves. “It’s nice to see you every once in awhile.”

It really was amazing how attached the Trio had gotten to Tony in such a short amount of time. Well, to the quartet themselves, as it appeared to everyone else that they’d been friends for years.

The things they’d talked about may have had something to do with it. Harry, however, was completely relaxed around the Italian and Ron and Hermione probably picked up on that.

“But we’ll keep writing to you,” Harry immediately added.

“Course, you will,” Tony nodded. “I’d think something was wrong otherwise and have to kidnap you.”

“The Wizarding World would be in a panic,” Remus chuckled as Sirius grinned. “Having Harry Potter suddenly disappear for an undetermined length of time.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “I wish I wasn’t this idealized person that everyone’s decided was a hero.”

“But then a whole lot of things would have changed,” Ron told him. “Your parents would still be alive; Sirius wouldn’t still be wanted for what Wormtail did…”

“I really don’t know if I would change anything,” Hermione mirrored Remus’ position and shook her head. “Harry, I really am sorry, but I don’t want to take the chance that we would probably have never met and become as close as we did.”

“She’s got a point,” Ron quietly agreed.

For a few minutes, Tony’s pencil scratching was the only noise in the room.

“We probably would have never met Tony,” Harry added. “I mean, if Sirius hadn’t escaped and I lived elsewhere.”

Putting the finishing touches on the portrait, Tony paused. “You know what? I have this strangest feeling that we would have met regardless.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I don’t know. Gut feeling, you could say. Like, if it wasn’t you, then it would be someone else and I would still have a part to play.”

“What part?” Remus frowned at him.

“I don’t know,” Tony repeated, frowning. “I just have a feeling that I have something that I need to do. It’s something that’s just come up.”

“Will you have to do whatever it is, soon?” Ron questioned, not liking the idea that Tony would be away for a long time. Purely because Harry would be all morose and maudlin, of course. Not that Ron would worry. Tony was a grown man and could take care of himself.

“How many ways can I say ‘I don’t know’?” his smile taking the sting out of it. “Okay, Sirius. I’m done.”

“Finally,” Sirius immediately got up to stretch. He disliked sitting still. Remus gave a laugh at some of his antics before looking at the time.

“Almost time to get moving.”

Remus and Sirius immediately left to go find the best spot to see the fireworks, leaving Tony, Harry, Hermione and Ron alone.

“Another year,” Tony sighed, cleaning up. “Can’t say I’ll miss it.”

“Probably for the best,” Ron nodded, getting up to stretch. The four of them left to find a suitable spot for the fireworks display and soon found themselves in an unused bedroom with the perfect view.

“I really miss being in a magical environment sometimes,” Tony sighed happily, waving his wand to show off the time, putting it on the window to count down the time.

“I’ll bet,” Hermione nodded thoughtfully. “My magic gets kind of… well, I can’t explain it… if I go too long without casting a spell.”

“Which is why only certain spells are allowed to be cast outside of the classroom,” Tony nodded. “Simple things like levitation, repair spells, directional spells and _Lumos_ can be used under the radar, but only enough so that your accidental magic doesn’t get out of hand. The only stipulation is that you don’t use any of them while in the presence of Muggles. The bells only start to ring when you use effort. Say, anything larger than a feather or quill - which would technically be the same thing - or a leaf. They get a bit more lenient when you’re in magical areas. Well,” he shrugged. “I hope they do, anyway. Just because you have magic, doesn’t mean you aren’t susceptible to attack. Think about if something happened to Harry and he could have prevented it by using magic.”

“I don’t know,” Hermione smiled slightly. “Everyone may think it was another attempt for attention. Or something like that. Remember, people still think Harry and Professor Dumbledore are trying to overthrow the government.”

“I think I’ll join them,” Tony deadpanned. “Can’t be any worse than what I’m doing.”

“ ‘Absolute power corrupts absolutely’,” Hermione quoted.

“Well, that, too. On second thought,” Tony suddenly frowned. “I’m not sure you three were supposed to know about those spells you can use. Oops.”

“Does the American Ministry let you do those things when you‘re in school?” Ron asked, grinning.

“Well, sure. You don’t see me planning to overthrow _them._ ”

“I told you,” Harry laughed. “I’m not planning to overthrow anyone!”

“But that doesn’t mean Dumbledore isn’t,” Tony pointed out.

The three friends stared at him before breaking into nervous laughter.

“He wouldn’t do that,” Hermione giggled.

“Why wouldn’t he? He basically runs the thing anyway.”

The Trio were seriously thinking about it when Ginny poked her head in and grinned.

“There you are,” she appeared with a tray in her hands. “Mum told me to give these to you,” she nodded at the four fancy looking wine glasses on either side of an even fancier looking plate with four Pumpkin Patsies. “Mum said to leave the dishes there on the tray and that she’d send someone up to get them later.”

“Thanks, Ginny,” Ron immediately took possession of the tray, not giving his sister a second glance as she left them to it.

“What’s this?” Harry frowned at his glass and took in the almost light blue beverage.

“Probably something someone’s trying out,” Ron lifted a shoulder.

Hermione delicately sniffed at her glass and smiled slightly. “Kind of smells like juice.”

“Blueberry?” Tony eyed his. “And maybe a splash of apple… and cherry?”

“New recipe for something?” Harry suggested.

There was no more time to play around as the time spell started to count down. The four of them chanted along to the time and cheered as the clock struck midnight, signaling the New Year. They clinked their glasses together and took their first sip of the new drink.

“I’ve never tasted anything like this before,” Hermione let out a dreamy sigh as she reached for a Pumpkin Patsy. “And these must be for the Holiday,” she added, biting into hers. “That or the juice has an aftertaste…”

“I guess it’s alright,” Ron didn’t care for it, but drank it anyway figuring it couldn’t hurt.

Harry echoed the feeling and stuffed the Patsy into his mouth.

Tony let it roll in his mouth for a second and lifted a shoulder. “Tastes like something we have back home.”

When they had finished, the empty glasses were set back on the tray as the fireworks began.

None of them took any notice when Ginny returned for it.

Nor did they give any thought to how they woke up the next morning feeling a strange energy that everyone just chalked up to as the New Year.

In any case, Tony joined Molly, Tonks, Mad Eye, Sirius, Remus and a few others in handing Fred, George, Ginny and the Trio off to the Hogwarts Express on the fifth.

Tony shook hands with the twins and let Ginny give him a quick squeeze before thanking his lucky stars for having Abby Scuito as a friend when Hermione launched at him.

“See you when we see you,” she pecked him on the cheek.

“Back at you,” he tugged her braid before he exchanged a one armed hug with Ron. “Take care, Red.”

“You, too,” he grinned.

Harry easily stepped into a familiar hug. “Try to stay out of trouble,” he told the older wizard before pulling away.

“That’s supposed to be my line,” Tony ruffled his black hair. “I expect to be kept updated on all your adventures.”

“And keep us in the loop about what goes on at the office,” Hermione told him.

“Yeah, so we can decide what to hex them with.”

“Ron!”

“I’ll take it into consideration,” Tony huffed a laugh as they drew in for one last group hug. “I don’t want to be separated,” he finally admitted.

“Us, either,” they assured, all reluctant to part. Unfortunately, they had no choice as the crowd on the Platform was getting thicker and Tony had to head back to Number Twelve to collect his things before making his own way home.

“Travel safely,” Ron told him. “Owl us when you get the chance.”

“Or visit,” Hermione suggested. None of them gave any thought to their unusual reluctance to separate.

“Geez,” Tony complained, sweeping a hand over his eyes. “You’d think we were newlyweds or something, the way we keep delaying good-bye.”

They shared a laugh and one last hug before following their peers onto the Express.

They were just settling into a compartment when Harry’s radio suddenly squawked. Grateful to have kept it on him instead of in his trunk, the Trio clustered together.

“ _You three settled in okay_?” Tony asked over the radio.

“Yeah, we’re good,” Harry told him as Ginny and Neville ambled in.

“ _Good, good_.”

“Hi, Tony,” Ginny leaned forward. “This is one of our friends, Neville.”

_“Hel-lo _,_ _Neville,”__ he obediently greeted.

“Uh, hello?” he looked at the others and took in the encouraging looks. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“ _Gryffindor, huh_?”

“How can you tell?” Neville sat down next to Ron.

“ _Gut feeling. I would’ve been your Housemate, did you know?_ ”

“Dumbledore had him Sorted as a joke,” Ron explained as Harry snickered. “I think it was a joke…”

The last-call whistle sounded.

“Thanks again for the radios,” Hermione called. “We can’t tell you how helpful it’ll be.”

“Yeah, Umbridge,” Harry told him.

“Filch and Norris,” Ron grinned.

“Peeves,” Ginny scowled.

“Snape,” Neville shrugged.

“ _That illegal Defense club I’m technically not supposed to know about. Good luck with that by the way.”_

Dead silence.

Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron stared at each other with wide eyes. “I didn’t tell him!” they all denied.

Neville looked from one to the other as the train started to move. Hermione’s mouth kept moving, but nothing came of it as Tony gave one last transmission before the radio went dim.

_“Fair winds and following seas.”_


	9. At the Office

“Okay, guys. This is where I get down on my knees and beg.”

“It would depend on what we are going to be doing.”

“Oh, well, see, I have this book on dreams and -”

“Abby, I don’t think we need a book on dreams to tell us that we’re working too hard and need vacations.”

The Goth Forensic Scientist gave Tim McGee her iciest. “Timmy, I just want to know the overall themes you’ve been having.”

Ziva David pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Such as?”

Tony DiNozzo tiredly watched from his desk as his team and Abby conversed.

The Goth sighed. “Like odd or silly… Fun or happy or any number of things.”

“I had one of those last week,” McGee offered.

Tony wondered what Abby’s book would make of his own dream.

Being a wizard was one thing, but trying to talk to a floating ball of fire that reminded him of the Headmaster of Hogwarts’ phoenix was something else. Especially when that ball of fire sounded like Dumbledore and kept offering jelly bean looking lemon drops while Tony was trying to get his witness statement on a robbery that was located in an ABC store run by dust bunnies.

Looking at his desk calendar, Tony noted the day of March 20th. Christmas at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place seemed like forever ago.

Idly wondering how his young friends were taking care of themselves, Tony was just about to get back to work when Jimmy Palmer stumbled out of the elevator with a magazine clutched in his hands. He looked… off.

Palmer was a good friend and Tony was glad to have the younger wizard around. He was a lot of help this last year with keeping him up to date on any news from Britain, especially pertaining to one Harry Potter. The other man would also keep any mail via Owl Post for when he could give them to Tony.

Tony let a grin cross his face when he remembered Palmer’s first reaction upon hearing about Tony’s friendship with the young celebrity. After it sunk in that Tony _wasn’t_ kidding, Palmer had just clapped him on the shoulder and said that it really figured that Tony would be in cahoots with a legend when his own boss was the most legendary agent in the country, if not the world, both Muggle and Magical government agencies alike.

“What’s going on, Palmer?” he asked when the Gremlin stopped next to him.

Palmer knelt down and made sure the others were preoccupied before looking down at the magazine in hand. “Tony, you know that I completely believe Harry when you told me what happened, right? During the Tri-Wizard Tournament? And I know that you believe him without question. I know he’s not a liar or attention seeker and that he wouldn’t make this stuff up -”

“Get to the point,” Tony sighed, leaning closer to him.

Palmer gave him the recent edition of the Quibbler, based out of Britain. “I was down at Pindle’s Polish earlier and this caught my eye.”

Pindle’s Polish was one of the top polish suppliers in all of the Magical world. Any type of polish you could imagine for any reason you could imagine for any occasion. Broom maintenance to furniture, hypo-allergenic to organic…

Once, when Tony and Palmer were just getting to know each other, they’d accidentally found that wizards and witches had a fair need for Muggle variety brands. In fact, as Mr. P himself had told them, there were customers that absolutely refused to buy any Magical polishes.

There was a wall in the back of the little shop that was dedicated solely to magazines and newspapers - both local and international. There was even three whole shelves that were focused solely on Harry Potter.

‘That’s where Palmer found it,’ he eyed the Quibbler and glanced at his friend.

“Just open it,” he grinned, putting a hand on the edge of the desk to help keep his balance.

Tony opened the magazine to find a sheepish looking Harry and the headline:

**_

Harry Potter Speaks Out At Last

_: The Truth About He Who Must Not Be Named and the Night I Saw Him Return!**

Looking up at Palmer with wide eyes, Tony turned to the article, lips moving as he read to himself.

“It’s all I’m hearing about,” Palmer told him, eyes lit with excitement. “Harry’s making waves.”

“Fantastic,” Tony breathed, coming to the end. This was good. Harry was going to need as much support as possible in these darkening times. “What’s the going so far?”

“From what I’ve heard,” he chewed his bottom lip. “A lot of people don’t believe it. More people don’t really know what to think and not enough are on our side. Agent Donners is fully behind us, though.”

“I knew he would,” Tony murmured, thoughts going to his unit supervisor at the MNP. Doug Donners always heard two sides of every story before making a decision. Knowing that Harry Potter had supporters in his unit made things that much more in Potter’s favor.

One of the things that set the Americans apart from the British was their willingness to believe almost anything about terrorist rumors. American Magical Agents, especially, made every effort to investigate any and all claims.

This was something of a problem with the Ministry of Magic in Diagon Alley. Whenever Death Eater activities were claimed to be witnessed, American agents were dispatched without hesitation and the Aurors would get wind of it and have to do damage control.

Thing was, many in the Terrorist Unit on the sixth floor had taken to hiding information from the Aurors who didn’t quite believe it, in the fear that the Aurors would blow them off completely.

As much as the American Minister didn’t like having Voldemort back, he wasn’t about to sweep it under the rug like his British counterpart and didn’t hesitate to call him on it. Okay, the information wasn’t completely public, but they were slowly trying to raise awareness for those who didn’t know what was going on across the Atlantic.

“Colonel Mackenzie sent word that she’s behind us, too, and would back our play,” Palmer went on. “She’s not hearing many firm answers, but a lot seem negative. Mac’s got hope, though.”

Tony nodded. Thinking for a minute, he gave the magazine back. “Make sure the others here know about this,” he said lowly. “Tell them to email me about what side they’re taking.”

“Got it,” Palmer nodded, standing and tucking the magazine under his arm. At that moment, the others noticed his presence.

“Palmer!” Abby waved with all the enthusiasm of someone not having seen him for days as opposed to the few hours they hadn’t seen each other. “What’s shaking?”

“Nothing much,” he smiled lightly.

“Good news, perhaps?” Ziva eyed the pair giving innocent eyes. “Tony, you are not looking as ill as usual.”

“Don’t feel so bad, either,” he told them with genuine conviction. “Maybe I’m finally kicking this cold. Yeah, it’s about a friend in England.”

“Girlfriend?” McGee lifted a brow. “About time. You’ve been on a dry spell since you got back.”

“It’s _not_ a dry spell,” he growled. And it wasn’t, crazy as that sounds. He hadn’t had the urge to have relations and he wasn’t entirely sure why, except that his job was causing this stress and it was messing with him physically, mentally, emotionally and magically. “And my *guy* friend has been going through a lot.”

“So, guys, now?” McGee smirked. “I wondered.”

“First of all,” Tony shot up. “That’s illegal and second, if you think me _that_ low, I’ll just go arrest myself.” He stormed off, leaving Palmer to frown at them.

“Harry’s fifteen,” he told them coldly. “He’s a good kid going through a rough time in his life. Tony’s just being a supporter.” He followed Tony to try and calm him down to a level that magic wouldn’t be needed.

Abby looked at the other two guiltily. Gibbs strode around the corner and shook his head.

“Never assume,” he reminded, slapping Ziva and McGee on the back of the head. “DiNozzo isn’t feeling up to your antics this week.” He settled behind his desk as Abby scurried off to her lab and the other two scurried to their desks.

Glancing up, Gibbs sighed to himself.

Tony reacted better than _he_ would have. Frankly, as close to this kid as Gibbs suspected Tony to be, the Italian would be well within his rights to hit one of them. Seeing movement on the landing above them, Gibbs connected eyes with Vance, who nodded in accordance with his silent thoughts.

***

As March ended and April began, Palmer stuck ever closer to Tony.

Dr. Ducky Mallard had conducted every test at his disposal, but he still could not for the life of him figure out why Tony’s health seemed to be deteriorating.

It had been Ducky himself that had given Palmer the idea to bring Tony to Liberty Hospital, the place where all wizards and witches in the DC area went when they needed help. St. Mungo’s in Diagon Alley was all well and good, but Liberty had magic run technology that seemed to be more reliable.

As Palmer leaned against a wall in the waiting room of the General Illness ward, he remembered the discussion he had heard between Ducky, Abby and Gibbs.

The latter two had drilled the ME about Tony and Ducky had exploded in frustration.

‘ _I have no earthly idea_!’ he had said. ‘ _This illness, Jethro, is frankly something I’ve never seen before. It’s almost as if this has come out of thin air_!’

‘Like magic,’ Palmer’s eyes widened, glad he had his back to them so they couldn’t see his expression. He had berated himself for not thinking of a magical explanation sooner.

Yes, Muggles had all manners of ills, as did Magic folk. Tony had more of a problem of it, being Italian, so Palmer wasted no time in carting Tony off.

Tony was pale. His energy was near nonexistent and Palmer could recognize Magical distress when he saw it, so having Tony use more effort than needed for a simple levitating charm was no surprise. Tony didn’t look like he was sleeping, either, and his appetite was suffering as well. He was constantly complaining of a headache and his magic creating this strange, itchy feeling under his skin which scared Palmer more than anything else.

If the Healers couldn’t figure out what was wrong, Palmer didn’t know what he would do. What he did know was that as much as Palmer wanted so much to meet young Harry Potter, he didn’t want to be the one to break the news that Tony had succumbed to a mysterious illness.


	10. New Year's Accident Revealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah. Before you all start on me, let me just tell you, for the rest of the series to happen the way I want it to, this *needs* to happen. 
> 
> One of the future installments can't happen unless this does as well. 
> 
> There are two more chapters of this story and the ending - to me - is anti-climactic. But I can't kill anyone off, because there's the next story to worry about, which is almost done.
> 
> There will be some more shows that will be dragged into this series, and I have a few 'backstories / revealed stories' to add already. Some of the shows are no probies to the magic world, and some of them are. The characters, however, may not be the ones you might be used to seeing with magic.
> 
> But if you could read Casual Acquaintances first, that would be great.
> 
> So, you know. You won't be surprised when I drag White Collar into this. 
> 
> And rest assured, Sherlock will be taking a role in the next two or three stories to come.

***

Hermione was at a complete loss.

Harry’s mood swings were starting to get even _him_ concerned.

Ron - here’s the kicker - didn’t have the energy to go flying.

Hermione herself found that food held no interest for her. Their magic seemed to be trying to reach out to something and their class work was being affected.

Harry wasn’t complaining when Madam Pomfrey made them all take a potion every few days and their DA members had decided that practicals could wait until the Trio felt better.

Everyone was getting worried about them and the teachers tried giving them more theory than practice, especially when Hermione had had to be admitted to the Hospital Wing after having a breakdown when she couldn’t do what even Neville could perform with ease in Charms class.

Umbridge was just chalking it up to yet another plot to disrupt classes and deducted points whenever either of the Trio exhibited one of their odd symptoms.

The Slytherins, crazily enough, seemed to understand that they wouldn’t be tolerated for long - any more than usual, mind - and left them alone for much of the time. It was also no fun when the target couldn’t fight back.

The staff did their best to replenish the lost House Points and Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw did what they could, even going so far as to intentionally let Point opportunities pass them by for a Gryffindor to take advantage of.

Umbridge was forced to let up some when none of the Trio showed up for their assigned detentions one night due to no one being able to find them. It had been only by accident that Luna Lovegood - literally - stumbled over them in the back corner of the library where they had been studying for their OWLs. The Trio hadn’t been able to waken for almost three hours.

Finally, the three week Easter holidays were upon them and they were almost dragged onto the Express to go home, as one could call Grimmauld Place.

Molly had fussed over them as they arrived at Number Twelve and Sirius had stuck by Harry as he slept an hour after getting there.

The Trio were still dealing with their symptoms three days later, when they picked at lunch.

“You have to eat something,” Remus quietly told them.

“Not hungry,” Hermione rubbed her eyes for the thousandth time that day.

“You’ve been sleeping more than usual.”

“Don’t know why,” Ron groused, giving up on his sandwich and leaning his arms on the table. Harry was just listening to them as he leaned more against his concerned Godfather’s side.

“Hey, Tony,” Ginny looked up and saw the bedraggled American sit on the top stair, obviously having just arrived. “I guess you caught whatever they did, too, huh?”

“What?” Sirius followed her gaze and shook his head. “Mate, you look worse than the kids.”

“Feel worse than the kids, too,” Tony eyed the group.

“Tony, dear,” Molly bustled up to him. “Would you like something to eat?”

“Some soup, if you will,” he sighed tiredly as she nodded and got to work.

Remus went and helped Tony shuffle into a seat next to Ron. “I’ll get you some tea,” he patted him on the arm, heading for the counter.

Green eyes watched him curiously. “Hey, Tony,” Harry gave a small smile. “Sorry for getting you sick.”

“No problem,” he shook his head. “My friend suggested I take a break and I thought I’d hang out with you all. Catch up on things. Sorry I haven’t been sending letters or anything.”

“Doubt we’d have got them anyway,” Ron grumbled, absently turning to lean against Tony’s arm. He sighed with pleasure as the headache plaguing him slowly lost intensity.

They slowly broke for the afternoon and in preparation of an Order meeting. Harry, Ron and Hermione were relaxing alone in the library when Tony poked his head in.

“Hey,” he smiled warmly. “You don’t seem to have anything to do right now. How ‘bout coming to visit in my room?”

“Sounds good,” Harry immediately agreed, having missed him more than Harry thought possible. He felt guilty that he missed Tony more than Sirius, but it couldn’t actually be helped.

When the four of them finally got to Tony’s room, they were all feeling just a little better.

“I don’t know what’s going on,” Ron leant back against Tony’s wardrobe. “But my headache’s disappeared, so that can’t be bad…”

Hermione pulled at the ends of her hair. “I’ve done everything I could think of to get to the bottom of this, but I can’t find _anything_!”

Harry shook his head. “Are you feeling tired all the time, too, Tony?”

“Yeah,” he stretched out in the only armchair and leaned a hand against his cheek. “Not hungry, itchy… that sort of thing.”

“I’ve looked everywhere,” Hermione leaned against Tony’s headboard with a frustrated sigh. “I can’t find anything wrong with us! Not even the Nurse could, either.”

Tony tilted his head. “What was she looking for?”

“Spells and potions,” Ron told him. “Usual stuff.”

“Which is why no one’s found anything.”

“What do you mean?” Harry frowned.

“What I mean is,” Tony leaned back. “The reason that no one’s found anything is because they haven’t been looking in the right places. It’s like trying to get information from a witness. You have to figure out what questions will get you the answers you want.”

“And have you, then?” Ron wanted to know. “Asked the right questions, I mean?”

Tony eyed him for a moment. “I really think I have.” Pausing, he gathered his thoughts. “For the longest time,” he began, “me and my friend Palmer had been thinking that I caught a Muggle illness. Only fair, right? Well, a few weeks back, he got the idea to drag me to a Healer. Well, she couldn’t tell me what I didn’t already know, so we had gone to the MNP offices to get me a leave extension. Now, don’t ask why I did it because I don’t know, but I wandered into the Robbery Unit and saw some of the Agents clustered around an old fork.

“Me being me, I went over to take a look-see. This fork was a piece of an old set that one of them was tracking and had been brought in to alert the others to be on the look out for the rest of them. Now, Harry, Hermione. You two don’t quite understand and I see that. Ron, you have an old family, yes?”

The redhead nodded absently, frowning in thought. It took a minute, but Ron suddenly jolted, eyes wide as they found Tony’s. “Just how old was the set your mates were on about?”

Tony’s green eyes lit with approval as he beamed. “ _Now_ , you’re asking the right question!”

“What does it matter how old a fork was?” Harry frowned at them as Hermione adopted her ‘puzzle-solving in progress’ look.

“It matters,” Ron glanced at Tony before continuing. “See, a lot of the Wizarding families have things that are inherited from generation to generation. One thing that is kind of mandatory is kitchen stuff. Like, Mum’s got a whole bunch of old dishes and stuff from the 1700s or something that she got from her mum. Because of this, British Wizarding families - Pureblood and Mixed - have a tradition that isn’t as widespread as it used to be.”

“No…” Hermione’s eyes went wide, light going on.

“From what I understand, only Pureblood families - or those set firmly in tradition - keep it alive,” Tony offered.

“Yeah, Mum’s made sure we all knew what ours looked like,” Ron told them. “The decision is supposed to be a really big one between the two going through with it. It was never supposed to happen by accident. The families would make _extra_ sure that the kids knew what theirs looked like so something like this wouldn’t happen, because it could literally be anything from a cooking pot to a fork and everything in-between.”

“Excuse me,” Harry interrupted. “Look, you all seem to know what all you’re talking about, but I’ll remind you that this is going over my head.”

“Harry,” Hermione sighed. “I don’t know how to tell you this, but…”

“Look,” Tony picked up. “Remember what happened on New Year’s? When the clock hit midnight?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, thinking back. “Ginny came in with that drink and the Pumpkin Patsies.”

“Odds are, she didn’t realize what she was doing,” Ron ran a hand through his hair. “We never thought to ask Sirius to show us what his family set looks like.”

“In the simplest possible terms,” Hermione cut Harry off as he opened his mouth. “We - the four of us - ended up taking our New Year’s toasts with the Black Family Marriage Set.”

Harry stared at her. “You’re… you… what?”

“Married,” Tony rubbed his eyes. “As in magically. We are bonded. Probably physically, but it’s too soon to tell.”

“Married.”

“Though,” Hermione mused. “I don’t quite think it was supposed to be between four people…”

Harry just shook his head. “So, wait. We drank out of those glasses and we’re suddenly married?”

“I understand your skepticism,” Tony agreed. “I’m not all too sure how it’s supposed to work, either.”

“The way I understand it,” Ron explained. “The glasses are supposed to be prepared in a special way that only the family knows about. The plate may actually be what married us,” he mused. “That is prepared another way, too. Patsies aren’t exactly what are used, but they’ll do the job if there’s no other option. Since the Blacks are a fanatical Pureblood family, they’d have a marriage set. Not many know this,” Ron added, “but the glasses aren’t supposed to touch each other.”

“Which is how _four_ people got married,” Harry covered his eyes as he remembered the clinking of glasses accompanying the new year.

“If you think about it,” Hermione tilted her head. “Since the Black family’s youngest children were Sirius and his brother, it only makes sense that the set be prepared for when they found someone to marry.”

“Mum probably found it and mistook it for regular glasses,” Ron shook his head. “You wouldn’t actually know what they were until someone’s told you. Though, you’d think they’d be locked up. Then again… we’ve cleaned this place and it _is_ the Blacks…”

“You don’t suppose anyone else is married, do you?” Harry asked, having the strangest image of Sirius and Remus touching the glasses together before drinking the liquid they held.

“I think it’s safe to say no,” Tony told him. “Unless you’ve noticed anyone else being strangely affected.”

They sat there in thought for a few minutes.

“You’re right,” Hermione nodded. “Someone would have said something to us if they knew what happened.”

“I’m sort of glad, though,” Tony told her. “I mean, if this got out, I can’t guarantee not being tossed into Azkaban for tricking you into a marriage bond.”

“You will not,” Hermione scoffed. “We’ll just have to explain it.”

“Corrupting minors, then.”

“But you wouldn’t,” she said confidently. “You’re not like that.”

“That may be all well and good to _you_ , but I really have doubts about anyone else believing that.”

“They don’t know you. If they did, they would.”

“Hermione, you have no idea how many cases I’ve had to deal with concerning child molesters,” he said flatly. “Trust me on this. Knowing me would probably be even worse. A majority of kids know their attackers and you all keep insinuating a close friendship besides! I’d be locked up in a heartbeat!”

“But they wouldn’t throw you into Azkaban. You would at least get some kind of trial.”

“And look where _that_ assumption got Sirius. And how do you know I won’t?”

“They don’t throw molesters into Azkaban.”

“Would you like to test that theory?”

“Even if they wouldn’t normally,” Ron interjected. “They probably would in this case.”

“What makes ‘this case’ so special?” she demanded to know.

“What part of ‘Harry Potter’, ‘close adult male friend’ and ‘marriage bond’ went over your head?” Tony deadpanned.

“…oh.”

“Yeah,” Ron sighed. “Harry’s a factor. I mean, with the Ministry being corrupted and all, Tony ‘tricking’ Harry into an accidental marriage would have him in more trouble than Sirius.”

“Never mind that he’d probably be tossed back into Azkaban for actual murder,” Tony huffed. “If he got wind of this…”

“We’d just explain it to him,” Harry countered. “He would understand. He knows about being falsely accused for something.”

“So do I,” Tony said dryly. “He’s not the only one that’s ever been accused of murder.”

Tony sighed as he sat in the corner. Hermione watched him and found herself going toward him, curling up against him in the same manner that she had been in when Tony had told them about his troubles.

“My headache’s gone,” she noted.

“Yeah,” Ron nodded. “I noticed that, too.”

“I feel a little better when one of you are touching me,” Tony confirmed.

“I guess you were right about that ‘newlyweds’ comment on the platform,” Harry smiled weakly as he settled in next to him. Ron took the space next to him, all four of them touching in some way as a result of their seating positions.

As they let the time pass by, they each noted a symptom either lessening or disappearing altogether.

“So, our magic is bonded?” Harry ventured. “What does that mean?”

“From what’s been going on so far,” Tony noted, “I would guess that they’re constantly trying to reach out to each other. Distance got us sick.”

“All marriages are different,” Ron lifted a shoulder. “You can’t really tell what’s going to happen.”

“Well, this explains one mystery,” Tony mused. “I haven’t been able to date anyone and I’m guessing it’s because none of you are of age.”

“That makes sense,” Hermione nodded. “You would need to have your intended reach the age of majority before bedding them…”

“Which I have no intention of doing,” Tony hastened to add.

“How long is this bond anyway?” Harry wanted to know. “It won’t be lifelong, will it?”

“Well, first marriages are usually around ten years,” Ron reluctantly answered. “After that…”

“How is this going to affect us in the long run?” Hermione asked. “Is there going to be some change or something? I’ve never been married before, in any way, shape or form.”

“I think it’s safe to say that we’ll get that memo when we get that far,” Tony said. “I think we’ve got the health thing attributed to this, anyway.”

“Constant physical contact?”

“I felt better when we were all in the same room,” Harry offered.

“We can try it both ways,” she suggested. “I wonder how long we can go without being together. I mean, Tony, you were the only one who didn’t have any sort of contact with us. We’re always together and that may be why you were suffering more than we were…”

Thinking about it, Tony was about to answer when Harry suddenly piped up.

“I don’t think we should tell anyone,” he said quietly.

“But, Harry,” Hermione immediately interjected. “This is a really serious thing and -”

“I do understand that, ‘Mione, but remember what you just said? If one of us doesn’t have regular contact with the other three, then we get sick. Imagine if one of us _died_.”

“He’s got a point,” Ron said after a few minutes of silence. “I mean, what with all the Death Eaters on the loose and all…”

That meant that they were all even more susceptible to being targets for those who wanted to do Harry harm. This marriage bond guaranteed that.

“So, we just keep this between us?” Hermione confirmed. “The four of us?”

“Well… not four…”

Brown, blue and green stared at Tony.

He held up his hands. “I had to tell Agent Donners at the MNP. Things like this need to go through him. It was in the contract I signed when I signed up for being a part-time consultant. And anyway, I know he’ll keep this under wraps when I explain it in more detail. If it’s any consolation, he said something about keeping it secret first.”

“And how’d he take it?” Ron asked. “Donners?”

Tony smiled ruefully. “Well, if you could call him laughing himself sick a good reaction…”

They chuckled lightly.

“And what about Director Vance?” Hermione prodded. She didn’t ask about his team. In fact, she was glad he hadn’t told them about his magic, because if he couldn’t trust them where it counted… “And your friends Mac and Palmer?”

“Well, I’ve got enemies,” Tony shrugged. “Mac and Palmer would be targets for me just as much as we’re targets for Harry. Mac’s good at shielding her mind, but I’m still working on Palmer’s _physical_ defense, so never mind the mental one, although he does have potential,” he noted. “He doesn’t look ready to bolt every time Boss looks at him wrong anymore.”

“And Vance?”

“Look deep into my eyes and tell me that I trust him to not use this entire thing against me somehow.”

“…Okay,” she conceded the point.

“And in the first place,” he continued. “I don’t trust him any more than I trust those stairs at Hogwarts to stop moving at the drop of a hat.”

He did have a point.

“So, it’s Harry, me, Tony, Hermione and Donners that know this?” Ron made sure. “No one else?”

The other three shook their heads.

“But I think that we need to make sure,” Hermione pointed out. “If there ever comes an occasion where we absolutely, no way around it, life or death kind of situation _have_ to tell someone, we talk about it.”

“I agree,” Harry nodded. “This is the only way that we have a guarantee to not let this information get into the wrong hands.”

Hermione thought about it before getting up and finding a blank piece of regular notebook paper. “This will do,” she muttered. “Tony. Could you enchant this if I told you what spells to use?”

“Sure.”

Harry and Ron realized what she was doing: It was the same idea concerning their Dumbledore’s Army.

Hermione let the magic sink in before Tony gave her a quill. She bent over it, scribbling for a few minutes, before leaning back with satisfaction. “There. Now, we’ll know that if our problem gets out, it won’t be from any of us here.”

“That’s a good idea, Hermione,” Ron praised. “We’re the only people we can trust with this.”

“You realize we’ll be connected forever,” Tony pointed out.

“We were planning on that anyway,” Harry told him. “Me, Ron and Hermione was a given.”

“And now that you’re part of our inner circle,” Hermione added. “You won’t be able to get rid of us.”

“Yeah, mate,” Ron grinned. “Your fate was sealed at the Quidditch World Cup.”

“Probably,” Tony chuckled. “Now, what have we got here.”

Tony read over Hermione’s contract and whistled.

_The signers of this contract agree to the terms discussed and will uphold the decisions agreed upon during the discussion. The consequences will be severe, either by group’s decision or results of outside parties._

Hermione had signed her name first. Ron signed next, Harry after him and Tony last. As the Trio watched, Tony waved his wand a few more times and let the magic settle before making the paper burst into flame.

“What did you do?” Hermione wanted to know, watching the small fire.

“Extra insurance,” he lifted a shoulder. “A thing or two I learned from one of my year mates.”

Watching Tony banish the ashes, Harry glanced at his other two friends. As much as he hated putting them all in even more danger, this time he really couldn’t do anything about it. He wasn’t to know at the time it happened that they were using a marriage set. This time, it really had been an accident.

“Actually,” Ron suddenly piped up. “You’re all taking it awfully well…”

“It was an accident,” Harry shrugged, repeating his thoughts aloud. “These things happen.”

“With no way to break it until years from now,” Tony crossed his arms. “But, yeah. Harry’s right. Magical accidents happen.”

“Ten years?” Hermione asked again.

“Give or take,” Ron shrugged.

The four of them stared at each other. They would face this together. That fact alone gave each of them faith that things would turn out alright. They would take things as they came. It was all they could do.

“Oh, yeah,” Tony suddenly remembered. “Harry, speaking of Mac and Palmer, we all read that interview. They agree that information needs to start being made available in the British Magical community. We all agree with you, too.”

“That’s good to hear,” Hermione rushed forward to give him a hug.

“I never thought it would go as far as America,” Harry told Ron.

“Well, sure,” he shrugged. “The Wizarding world doesn’t just include Britain, you know.”

“Hey,” Tony frowned. “I think I’m getting hungry.”

“I think I am, too,” Hermione’s smile broadened. “I guess that means being in each others’ company really does make us more energized.”

“That means,” Ron clapped Tony on the arm. “We’ll be seeing you even more! You’ll be welcome at any event we get invited to, maybe even the World Cup again.”

“Maybe,” Harry agreed.

“But next time,” Hermione smirked. “Let’s leave the Death Eaters out of it, huh?”

They just started laughing. And if their laughter sounded a little hysterical, well, that was their business.

But, in some years’ time, when they would find themselves attending the next Cup, Hermione would look back on that moment and wonder if having Death Eaters around weren’t actually practice to what they would face.

Then again, in some years’ time, many things could happen, enemies made and friendships established.

And secrets revealed.

But, even so, they were not yet to know that one of those friendships would reveal a secret not yet ready to see the light of day. Or that a friendship soon to be made would lead to an interesting conclusion to their last year at Hogwarts.

As for now, Tony led the Trio of friends to dinner.

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if I'm happy with some of this chapter. Tell me what you think I need to change, please. Besides the obvious.
> 
> Get ready for the side story, Cupboard Conversations.


	11. Filler

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is last. 
> 
> After this is finished, I will be posting the next installment before I post the next Boston Interlude. This is because I want to get going on this story and I am drawing a terrible blank on BI Sally. 
> 
> Hope you like this before we wrap things up.

After that, the quartet’s collective health seemed to improve drastically.

There were lingering concerns, but everyone just brushed it off as something they picked up and being away from the stresses of school - and work - helped get them back into form.

Easter came and went, the only eventful thing to be noted being when Remus had misplaced his pocket watch in the kitchen and Tony had pounced on the chance to burn off some energy. The Order meeting had had to be delayed as Tony threatened to toss them all out of the house if they so much as _breathed_ on his ‘crime scene’.

Dumbledore had been no help at all as he appeared to be far too entertained by the entire affair. Harry was trying to stifle his laughter as he tried getting his ‘witness statement’ - being set as honorary NCIS Agent with Ron and Hermione, crime scene tape and everything - when Dumbledore kept trying to tell him things completely unrelated to the ‘crime’.

“Isn’t that giving false information?” Sirius laughed at the pair of them. “One for impersonating an Agent and one for not even being in the same country at the time?”

“They have to investigate all their angles,” Tonks pointed out. “That’s what Aurors and Agents do.”

“Wasting time is what they’re doing,” Mad-Eye Moody growled.

“Now, Alastair,” Dumbledore pacified. “Humor is something that is needed as dark times approach. If pretending to solve a simple case of misplacement will give even one person a moment’s joy, then I see no harm in indulging them.”

“Pretending is easy,” Charlie Weasley shrugged. “And it does help to know that some fun can still be had as times start getting dark, as the Headmaster said.”

“You could just Summon it,” one witch pointed out as a few of the Muggle borns in the group watched with interest at what was going on.

“We don’t need to use magic all the time,” one of them countered.  “It’s good to see that the younger generation understands that.” Some nodded in agreement. “Even if it _is_ a lost trinket.”

“It’s not lost anymore,” Tony closed his notebook with a satisfied snap. “I know where exactly where it is.”

“Really?” Ron turned from talking to Ginny. “Where is it?”

“Check your jacket pocket,” Tony instructed Remus. The werewolf went red as he did and withdrew the missing pocket watch.

“Thanks to Agents DiNozzo, Potter, Granger and Weasley,” Dumbledore joined in the laughter. “The case has been resolved!”

Tony put everything back to rights with a wave of his wand amidst the applause before hustling his ‘junior agents’, Ginny and the twins out so the ‘boring adults’ could go to their meeting.

**

Tony once again saw them off on Platform 9 ¾, this time being prepared for it.

“Newlyweds,” he quoted, giving black locks one last ruffle.

Ginny dragged Neville Longbottom over for a proper introduction ( “Hi! Neville, right? It’s nice to finally put a face to the voice. I have to say - and no offense, but - you’re taller than I thought you were.” ), before they were herded onto the Express.

Like last time, Tony called Harry on the radio; poked fun at them for their ‘extracurricular activities'; refused to answer questions concerning how he had gained the knowledge of said extra-curricular activities in the first place; and repeated his last transmission of the American Navy farewell, wishing for fair winds and following seas.

 **


	12. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't like this chapter at all, but I didn't know how to end it without killing someone off. Especially someone that I need to be alive for this entire series to work.
> 
> I honestly didn't expect the response I got for this story. Thank you so much and I hope you like the rest of the series.

As the school year drew to a close, Remus noticed his old friend acting stranger than usual.

Sirius would disappear for an hour or two and Remus would eventually find him in the library, staring thoughtfully at a blank page in a very old tome. The Werewolf even found him in the kitchen, rifling through the cupboards.

When asked what he was looking for, however, Sirius would just say that he had already found it.

After awhile, they gave up trying to get an answer.

 *

At the school, Harry was in Umbridge’s office where she had just cast an Unforgivable.

Beauxbatons and Drumstrang were alive with all sorts of alarms imaginable.

Across the Atlantic, Tony was in Donners’ office when he near collapsed in pain. Donners knew the aftermath of the Torture Curse and put it together with what he knew of the connection between the Italian and three of the Magical world’s most known people.

It didn’t help any that the alarms he had set in his office to alert him if any of the three European schools had an Unforgivable cast on campus - as per MNP policy - started going off at the same time.

Working under the assumption that Hogwarts was under attack, American Agents based all over the world at MNP offices - along with Drumstrang and Beauxbatons professors - were immediately dispatched to Hogwarts when Dumbledore couldn’t be reached.

Harry would later learn from Ron and Hermione that the school was immediately put in lock down. Neville and a few others reported that something was going on when scores of unfamiliar witches and wizards suddenly flooded the school, urging students into their common rooms and trying to figure out why the school’s alarms were silenced.

After having been put through the Cruciatous Curse no less than five times, Harry was out of it when the door was burst off it’s hinges and the room filled with stunning spells. He didn’t remember being picked up, he didn’t remember the trip to the Hospital Wing and he most _certainly_ didn’t remember the next three days.

When he could think clearly again, the school was still under lockdown, but certain classes had resumed. What was probably the biggest thing was that the Americans still held most of the control of the school. Harry figured that someone else would have taken control.

The Ministry was trying to do damage control when the story hit the Daily Prophet. An unidentified student being attacked by a Ministry employee was big news.

Beauxbatons was still under lockdown and Maxime was in meetings with Karkaroff and different school officials about what had occurred.

Drumstrang had resumed all activities with heightened security and the Wizarding public was up in arms about their children. Hogwarts was a safe school and the Ministry had threatened that in the worst way imaginable.

Dumbledore was finally found and returned to the school, but the Americans still controlled a fair bit until the Headmaster could be reinstated. Even for two weeks after Dumbledore resumed control of the school, American Agents could be seen patrolling the perimeter and joining the Head Boy and Girl, Prefects and Aurors on regular patrols of the halls and corridors.

If anything good had come from any of it, Hermione was gratified to learn that Umbridge was under both investigation and administrative leave.

Harry had a private room in the Hospital Wing all to himself and DA members were constantly streaming in and out, but that was fine because Hermione and Ron were always there to receive the many reports of what was going on outside Harry’s little corner of the school.

The rest of the Fifth Year Gryffindors spent as much of their free time with the Trio, especially when Seamus had finally given a proper apology and Ron wasn’t looking like he wanted to attack him anymore.

With this arrangement, they found that actual Agents from the MNP made up the security detail that someone had green-lighted for Harry. He was especially pleased to find that they had all worked with Tony or had some exposure to him in some form or another.

It had actually been one of them that noticed the back of Harry’s hand.

A few hours later, the Trio learned that Tony himself was being treated for the Curse’s effects.

When asked about it, one of the Agents - Mali Parks - took the time to explain that Tony was Italian. Italian wizards had a way of bonding with people who they perceived as family and would suffer along with the one under agony until one thing or another occurred.

“Well, sure,” Ron commented when it was just the Trio alone. “Tony’s the closest to you.”

“But we’re _married_ , remember?” Hermione hissed. “Of _course_ , Tony would see Harry as a member of his family. He is married to him, after all.”

“Reckon that means it applies to us as well?”

Hermione thought for a minute. “Well, using the bond as evidence, I would think so. Being married would mean that we’re technically a family…”

Harry smiled brightly as he agreed. He’d always wanted a family. Sure, Sirius - and Remus by extension - was his family, but Ron and Hermione was closest to him. Having Tony as part of the family was like having a favored uncle to spill his problems to. He would take it any way he could, accidental marriage bond or not.

Soon enough, June began and classes ended.

Students packed up and were herded onto the train for the long journey home.

“You think we’ll have the DA again next year?” Neville wanted to know as he, the Trio, Luna Lovegood and Ginny shared a compartment. “It really helped me.”

“We don’t know, yet,” Hermione told him apologetically. “If we need some sort of practice, I guess so. I think at this point, it’s too soon to say.”

“Who do you think is going to be the next Defense teacher?” Ginny asked.

“I still say Tony should be our teacher,” Ron grumbled, thinking back to the Christmas holidays. "I wonder if That Lot did anything else to him.”

“He’d tell us,” Harry told them. Ron and Hermione weren’t so sure. They’d seen Harry and Tony interact with each other. They saw how so very alike the two were. Both would keep their hurts to themselves, but maybe not to each other. Harry and Tony didn’t trust very easily. That fact alone was reason enough to know that Tony would never use their trust against them or betray them in any way.

All in all, Tony wasn’t such a bad person to be married to.

“If you say so,” Ron told him.

Later, when the other three went to visit others, Hermione reached into her pocket and retrieved the letter that she’d gotten from Tony that morning.

“What’d he say?” Ron nodded at it.

“Well,” she looked at the letter again. “He said that he heard about what happened and was sorry that Harry got to experience that much pain firsthand. He would have visited, but he was also in the hospital exhibiting the same effects.”

“And no one asked any questions about it?” Harry frowned.

“Remember what they told us about the Italian way of protecting their families?” she reminded. “That is the way that people believe. Tony being landed in hospital because of what happened to you must not be all that unusual.”

“Or maybe they weren’t asking the right questions,” Ron exchanged grins with the other two.

“In any case,” Hermione shook her head. “He’s doing fine, and says that we should expect to hear from him again soon.”

“I hope he’s alright, though,” Harry piped up.

“He is,” she assured.

As the train got closer to home, the Trio sat back and reflected on past events and looked forward to future adventures with Tony and each other.

And adventures, they would be.


End file.
